Letter to Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO

July 19, 2006

Mr Koïchiro Matsuura
Director-General of UNESCO

Dear Mr. Director-General,
 
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre must bring to your attention its astonishment at the one sided, "1 Minute of Silence - 5 Minutes of Prayer for Peace in Lebanon," organized by UNESCO International Staff Association (AIPU) scheduled for 11:00am tomorrow at Headquarters.
 
We are certain that you are  unaware of this attempt to hijack UNESCO in order to whitewash the terrorist gang and its state-sponsors that provoked the current situation in Lebanon.
 
Had this exercise been based upon integrity, the invitation sent to all Permanent Delegates to UNESCO would have equally mourned the Israeli victims of Hezbollah missile aggression.
 
Unless the organizers rename this demonstration as "Prayer for Peace in Lebanon and Israel," UNESCO will be associated with the forces of hate which provoked this tragedy, and contradict the acknowledgment by the United Nations and the G8 Summit of the universality of suffering in this unnecessary conflict.
 
Mr. Director-General, our Centre laments this offence to your personal commitment to fairplay and harmony at UNESCO.
 
Most Respectfully,
 
Dr. Shimon Samuels
Director for International Relations
 
cc:
Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean and Founder, Los Angeles
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean, Los Angeles