Soccer Dad

Kofi's Empty Words

Media Backspin commented on the UNRWA's criticism of Israel's not allowing UN ambulances urestricted free passage.

No mention from Hansen or UNICEF of how those Palestinian health professionals have recently had their UN 'medical' vehicles used as cover for armed terrorists -- perhaps that contributes to Israel's reluctance to grant medical vehicles a free pass?

There's another side to this issue and that is the ICRC's refusal to accept the Mogen David Adom as an official symbol. There are cosequences to this as Arutz-7 reported:

A Magen David Adom ambulance driver told Israel Radio that he was shot at immediately upon arriving at the scene and was ordered to leave the area. Special search and rescue units were dispatched to the site to help with the immediate relief efforts.

One of the most egregious expressions of international antisemitism is the refusal to grant the MDA the international protections afforded those organizations that are accepted as part of the ICRC. If Kofi Annan really meant what he said last week about fighting antisemitism, this would be an excellent place to start.
He could use his position as the Secretary General of the UN to bully the ICRC into elevating the MDA's status. Or he could rally the General Assembly to condemn attacks on MDA personnel as vigorously as it condemns Israeli actions that offend the Arab world. So far he's done nothing to demonstrate that he really cares about antisemitism. The UN remains one of the foremost promoters and excusers of antisemitism in the world and Kofi Annan must change that. As long as he's not part of the solution he is part of the problem. Having married the niece of Raoul Wallenberg does not absolve him of the evil his organization promotes.
Crossposted on Israpundit and Soccer Dad.

Posted by SoccerDad at June 30, 2004 7:43 AM