Kerry Warns Against Hijacking U.N. for Anti-Semitism

Secretary of State John Kerry urged the world on Wednesday to condemn rising anti-Semitism and bigotry and unite in the struggle against violent extremism and “terrorist bigots,” speaking at a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the adoption of a U.N. resolution equating Zionism with racism.

Kerry called the 1975 resolution ominous because it gave “a global license to hate” the state of Israel, and he called on diplomats and governments to do everything in their power to prevent the United Nations from being hijacked again “for malicious intent.”

The event, organized by Israel’s U.N. Mission and attended by more than 400 diplomats and members of Jewish organizations, came on a day that the EU announced it will start labeling Israeli products made in Yehudah and Shomron.

Kerry didn’t mention the EU labeling but he did stress America’s “unwavering” commitment to Israel, to lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and to a two-state solution. With courage and leadership, he said, “this is not an impossible dream — it is achievable.”

However, in response to the EU move, Israeli Cabinet Minister Yuval Steinitz accused Europe of “disguised anti-Semitism.” Other officials did not go quite so far, though they decried the labeling as a discriminatory and hypocritical act which singles out Israel, while ignoring comparable situations in many other countries.

This article appeared in print on page 8 of the November 13th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.