Deputy Press Secretary Speakes on the President's Meeting With Jewish Women
Leaders
(August 16, 1984)
The President met this morning with a group of distinguished
women leaders representing a cross section of the American Jewish community.
Their discussion focused on foreign policy issues and concerns, including U.S.-Israeli relations. The President
expressed his commitment to the security of Israel and his belief that
the United States can play an important role in assisting the dialog
between Israel and her neighbors.
The President stressed his administration does not
condone anti-Semitism in any form.
The President discussed the third International Women's Conference which
will take place next year in Nairobi, marking the end of the United
Nations Decade for Women, noting that while the original goals of the
previous two United Nations Women's Conferences (in Mexico City in 1975
and Copenhagen in 1980) were noble, both conferences became dominated
by political issues extraneous to these goals. Specifically, these conferences
became fora for attacks on the State of Israel and an infamous association
of Zionism with racism.
The President made clear today that the United States will actively
oppose any conference agenda item which deviates from important women's
issues and calls for the discussion of nongermane political issues,
including any agenda item that could be used as a vehicle to defame
Israel. The United States has consistently opposed such efforts, most
recently at the United Nations Population Conference in Mexico City
earlier this week.
In particular, the President noted that the United
States will oppose any agenda item at the Nairobi Conference which associates
Zionism with racism. If, despite our efforts, such an agenda item is
adopted, the United States will have no choice but to consider seriously
canceling its participation in the conference.
Sources: Public Papers of the President |