Soccer Dad

Kofi says the Right Words

Why doesn't this make me feel better?

Organized by the UN's Department of Communications and Public Information (DPI) as the first segment of its "Unlearning Intolerance" series, the day-long seminar, "Confronting Anti-Semitism: Educating for Tolerance and Understanding," provided those unhappy with the UN's treatment of Israel and the Jewish people a chance to air their grievances and demand change. At the same time, UN officials were granted an opportunity to defend the institution against accusations that it turns a blind eye to hate.

Indeed, in Annan's opening address – attended by his wife, Nane Annan, niece of the Holocaust rescuer Raoul Wallenberg – he noted that the UN's record on anti-Semitism "has at times fallen short of our ideals."

"The fight against anti-Semitism must be our fight, and the Jews everywhere must feel that the United Nations is their home," he said.

In a rare move for a UN official, Annan stated that support for the Palestinian cause does not justify anti-Semitism. "When we seek justice for the Palestinians – as we must – let us firmly disavow anyone who tries to use that cause to incite hatred against Jews, in Israel or elsewhere," he said.

Could it be that Mr. Annan was giving this speech to the Arab summit just after Shalhevet Pass was brutally murdered?

The current cycle of violence between Palestinians and Israelis has seen hundreds killed and thousands wounded, the great majority of them Palestinians. Poverty and unemployment have skyrocketed. Blockades and closures have paralysed the Palestinian economy, isolated the West Bank and Gaza, and prevented the delivery of medicine, food and fuel. Collective punishment has cast a pall of anger and despair over the already-tense occupied territories. Israelis, too, have seen high hopes turn to fear.

A ten month girl had just been brutally murdered and the Secretary General of the UN couldn't find the words to condemn such a horrific act? Especially when the Voice of Palestine suggested that Shalhevet's mother killed her.
Or could it be that after Hezbollah violated the UN sanctioned border between Israel and Lebanon, the UN initially refused to acknowledge it had videotapes of the kidnaping and never condemned Hezbollah for its violation of the international border, claiming that it couldn't take sides between Israel and Hezbollah?

UNIFIL's neutrality and usefulness was most dramatically brought into question by the scandal surrounding the videotape made by UNIFIL soldiers shortly after the Oct. 7, 2000 kidnapping by Hezbollah of three Israeli soldiers. On June 27, 2001, senior Israeli officers reportedly asked UN Mideast Envoy Terje Larsen and UN South Lebanon representative Stephen de Mistora to see a videotape the Israelis knew existed of the cars -- disguised as UN vehicles -- that Hezbollah had used in the kidnapping. The UN officials denied the existence of the tape. But Larsen checked again with UN headquarters in New York City and found the Israelis were right. He later reportedly told Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer that he was "ashamed" at having unwittingly lied to Israel.

It took over a year for Annan to come clean:

Family members of kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldiers St.-Sgts. Benny Avraham and Omar Souad and Sgt. Adi Avitan met with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Oslo on Sunday, HA'ARETZ reported. Annan was in Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize and met with the families at the Oslo Synagogue to light the first candle for Hanukah. Annan promised the families that Special Envoy to the Middle East Terje Larsen would show them the videotape made by United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon soldiers after the kidnapping and also promised to return the personal belongings of the soldiers that were found by UNIFIL troops near Har Dov. He vowed to do all he could to help the families.

Avitan, Avraham and Souad were kidnapped in October of 2000 by Hizbullah forces in the Har Dov region. The IDF declared the three dead last month.

Lastly there was the the UN conference on racism held in South Africa that featured, according to Jeff Jacoby:

It had been obvious from the outset that anti-Semitic Israel-bashing would be high on the Durban agenda. Delegates arriving last week were greeted by the sight of posters featuring a large Star of David and the word ''apartheid'' in big letters. A press conference called by 20 Jewish organizations was broken up when Arab rowdies began shouting and blocking the speakers. The Associated Press reported that the Arab Lawyers Group distributed ''pamphlets depicting Jews with fangs dripping blood and wearing helmets inscribed with Nazi swastikas.'' Josef Goebbels died in 1945, but his intellectual descendants are alive and well.

The UN's recent history of antipathy towards Israel shows that Secretary General has his work cut out for him if, in fact, he is sincere. How about a test then for Mr. Annan?
Why doesn't he use his office to normalize the Jewish state's status in the world.
For one thing, why doesn't he prevail upon the General Assembly to have Israel accepted into one of the regional groups so it can participate on the same level as any other country. One of the perversities of the UN is that Israel's legitimacy in international affairs in the UN is based on the opinion of a group of unelected corrupt (and usually) antisemitic despots who have claimed that Israel's too immoral to join their club.
He could also use his office to lobby the Red Cross to accept the Mogen David Adom - Red Star of David - as an official symbol of the International Committee of the Red Cross and give Israeli medics international guarantees of safety. Further he should promise that the UN will push to prosecute anyone who violates the neutrality of Israeli MDA medics as has happened several times in the past 4 years.
These actions would not be enough, but they would be a good start. For now Annan's words are just words and have no meaning.
Anne Bayefsky issued this challenge.
Crossposted on Israpundit and Soccer Dad.

Posted by SoccerDad at June 22, 2004 05:12 AM | TrackBack