In August 2005, seventy members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Chairman of the UN Commission for Human Rights Makarim Wibisono expressing concern about anti-Semitism at the UN. They also called for the UN to fight anti-Semitism worldwide.
We write to thank
you for your condemnation of Special Rapporteur
Jean Ziegler's remarks calling the Gaza
Strip “an
immense concentration camp” and comparing
Israelis to Nazis. Like you, we believe that
this type of speech is "irresponsible" and
we denounce anti- Semitism within the United
Nations and elsewhere.
Regrettably, it appears that your denouncement
of this type of anti-Semitic behavior has
fallen upon deaf ears within the Commission
on Human Rights, under which Mr. Ziegler
serves. We have written to H.E. Makarim Wibisono,
Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights
to request that he, too, publicly condemn
Mr. Ziegler's deplorable statements, terminate
his appointment and replace him. We request
that you join us in our efforts urging Chairman
Wibisono to take immediate action against
Mr. Ziegler.
If the United Nations is
to take serious steps in the direction of
stamping out anti-Semitism worldwide, then
it must begin with itself. Now is the time
to send a strong message to those working
under the guise of the United Nations that
actions and speeches that breed anti- Semitism
will not be tolerated.
The United States House
of Representatives has worked diligently
this year to seek reforms to the United Nations
regarding anti-Semitism. Most notably, we
seek your issuance and implementation of
a directive that requires all employees of
the United Nations and its specialized agencies
to be subject to punitive action, including
immediate dismissal, for making anti-Semitic
statements or references. We ask that you
work to secure the adoption of a resolution
by the General Assembly that: 1.) establishes
mechanisms to officially and publicly condemn
anti-Semitic statements; 2.) requires punitive
action for anti-Semitic statements and references;
3.) holds employees and officials of the
U.N., its specialized agencies, and member
States responsible for anti-Semitic statements
and references in any forum of the United
Nations or its specialized agencies; and
4.) develops and implements education awareness
programs about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism
throughout the world, as part of an effort
to combat intolerance and hatred. We also
urge you to continue working toward further
reduction of anti- Semitic language and anti-Israel resolutions in the United Nations and its
specialized agencies.
Again, we respectfully request that you
urge the Chairman of the Commission on Human
Rights to take disciplinary action against
Mr. Ziegler without further delay. Furthermore,
we look forward to working with you in your
efforts to seek an end to the plague of anti-Semitism
worldwide and anxiously await the end of
this bigotry within the United Nations.