New York, NY, December 21, 2017 …

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the United Nations General Assembly emergency special session on “Israeli illegal actions” in East Jerusalem as “absurd” and “yet another chapter in the U.N.’s long record of single-minded focus on Israel.” The final vote, rejecting any recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, was 128 in favor, 9 against, with 35 abstentions.

Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO, issued the following statement:

 

Given the numerous pressing issues confronting the world today it is absurd that the General Assembly called an emergency special session to, yet again, excoriate Israel.   No emergency special session has been convened to discuss Syria or Burma or a myriad of other crises.  Indeed, of ten such special sessions convened over the history of the U.N., seven have been convened with the sole purpose of criticizing Israel.

While today’s session was held to critique the U.S. government’s recent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the session was yet another chapter in the U.N.’s long record of single-minded focus on Israel. It is notable that countries engaged in severe crises – including Yemen, Syria, Iran, Venezuela and Bangladesh, among others – spoke from the podium and declared Israel and Jerusalem the leading issue in the world.

The General Assembly once again has failed to play a constructive and fair-minded role in encouraging peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Instead of helping to promote engagement, it has deepened the divide.