SWC Denounces United Nations Vote to Take Israel to World Court over “Illegal Occupation”

November 11, 2022

The Simon Wiesenthal Center denounced an overwhelming vote by a United Nations committee calling for Israel to be taken to a world court over the Israel-Palestinian conflict.   

The United Nations General Assembly’s Fourth Committee voted to request the International Court of Justice to “urgently” weigh in on the conflict.

“The UN has now surpassed itself as an uncredible body that cares nothing for facts, fairness or real peace,” said Rabbi Eric J. Greenberg, SWC’s Director of United Nations Relations and Strategic Partnerships. “By declaring the occupation illegal in this Palestinian-backed resolution, the committee in effect is saying that instead of a negotiated solution to the conflict, a solution should be imposed on the State of Israel.”

“This latest charade at the UN will only bolster the forces of extremism, not peace,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, SWC’s Associate Dean and Director of Global Action. “Instead of urging the Palestinians to negotiate directly with Israel, the international community is again rewarding their bad behavior by holding out the possibility that Israel will be forced to make concessions without the Palestinians having to stop their genocidal hate and pay-to-slay-Jews-policy.

The vote was 98 in favor, 17 opposed and 52 abstentions. Nations voting against included the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Australia, Italy, Czech Republic and Israel.

Voting for the resolution were Ukraine, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan condemned the move saying its approval would “destroy any hope for resolution and reconciliation,” with the Palestinians. Erdan also blasted the resolution for omitting Jewish ties to the Temple Mount by calling it only by its Arabic name and saying it is part of occupied Palestinian territory.

US Representative Andrew Weinstein said the resolution would “magnify distrust” in the region and that the omission of Jewish connection to the Temple Mount was ”intended to denigrate Israel.”  

The resolution now goes to the entire UN General Assembly for an official vote as soon as next month.

Cooper and Greenberg urged UN member states to reconsider their position and vote in December against a resolution that “is filled with lies and one-sided anti-Israel actions and offenses that move us further away from truth and peace.”

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The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).