Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein and ZOA Chair Mark Levenson, Esq. released the following statement:
The Biden administration’s morally reprehensible decision to re-engage in the antisemitic United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is turning into a disaster. When U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the administration’s decision to re-engage with the UNHRC in early February, Blinken sought to justify re-engagement as allowing the U.S. to reform the UNHRC, “including [the UNHRC’s] disproportionate focus on Israel.” But instead of using U.S. “re-engagement” to try to stop the UNHRC from constantly bashing Israel (and ignoring real human rights abusers), the U.S. has now led a harmful UNHRC joint statement citing the shockingly vicious anti-Israel 2001 Durban racism conference as a favorable precedent.
On March 19, 2021, U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Lisa Peterson announced that “the United States is proud to have led” a UNHRC “Joint Statement on Racism” that “recalled” (UN-speak for praising as precedent) “the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the [2001] Durban Declaration and Program of Action [the “DPPA”].”
In addition, the UNHRC’s High Commissioner issued a statement on February 22, 2021 praising and demanding implementation of the Durban DDPA, and praising so-called “civil society” organizations that have “stood up” for the DDPA.
In fact, the 2001 UN “World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance” (WCAR) in Durban, South Africa was such a vicious antisemitic, anti-Israel (and anti-U.S.) hate-fest that the U.S. and Israeli delegations withdrew from Durban in the midst of the conference. Then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell noted, in his statement withdrawing from the Durban WCAR, that: “you do not combat racism by conferences that produce declarations containing hateful language, some of which is a throwback to the days of ‘Zionism equals racism;’ or supports the idea that we have made too much of the Holocaust; or suggests that apartheid exists in Israel; or that singles out only one country in the world–Israel–for censure and abuse.”
At the Durban WCAR conference, copies of the antisemitic conspiracy theory, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, were sold; anti-Israel protesters jeered participants and chanted “Zionism is racism, Israel is apartheid,” and “You have Palestinian blood on your hands”; and fliers depicted Hitler asking “What if I had won?” with the answer “There would be NO Israel and NO Palestinian bloodshed.” Jewish leader Anne Bayefsky feared for the safety of Jews there, and reported that Durban’s Jewish Center had to close due to threats of violence.
Breitbart editor Joel Pollak, who was also present at the Durban WCAR 2001, also recalled the vicious promotion of hatred of Israel and Jews there. (See “Biden Administration Cites Antisemitic Durban Conference as Positive Precedent,” by Joel Pollak, Breitbart, Mar. 21, 2021.)
The Durban DDPA falsely characterized Israel as a “foreign occupier” of her own land (“We are concerned about the plight of the Palestinian people under foreign occupation.”) and called for establishing an independent Palestinian state on Israel’s land (which would of course be a terror state).
In addition, the “Durban–WCAR NGO Forum Declaration,” falsely accused Israel of systematically perpetrating racist crimes, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, genocide, torture, deliberate impoverishment, state terrorism, colonialism, denationalization, and alien domination and subjugation of “indigenous” Palestinian Arabs – and much more. (The Durban NGO Declaration’s false anti-Israel condemnations went on and on.) The Durban NGO Declaration also falsely declared that “the West Bank, including Jerusalem and Gaza,” were “occupied Palestinian territories”; that Israel was “a racist, apartheid state”; that Israel’s “brand of apartheid” was “a crime against humanity”; and condemned “the ethnicity of the Israeli state as a Jewish state.” The same document also declared that Arabs were victims of antisemitism, and condemned the U.S. weapons blockade of Cuba.
The ZOA accordingly reiterates our request to the Biden administration to rescind the administration’s decision to rejoin the UNHRC. In addition, ZOA again urges Congress to pass Congressman Chip Roy’s “No Taxpayer Funding for UN Human Rights Council Act.” (See “ZOA Praises Cong. Chip Roy for His ‘‘No Taxpayer Funding for UN Human Rights Council Act,” Feb. 11, 2021; (See “ZOA Opposes Biden Admin Rejoining Israel-Bashing UNHRC; ZOA Praises Congressional Letter Declaring That Rejoining UNHRC Would Be ‘Morally Reprehensible’,” Feb. 9, 2021.)
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@ peloni1986:
Yes. They got over 21,000 votes but they are in Israel. In America, it’s just ZOA and Herut and they were outvoted by Reform. Liberal Jews belong to a completely different community with completely different values, also going back to the 19th century. And they constitute about 2 thirds of American Jews. I don’t think it’s fair to blame ZOA. But, ZOA is the one that puts out these great press releases on the issues of the day and debates them now and then in common forums. Otherwise, we are all preaching to the choir and talking to our own people.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
It is true that Herut can not boast of meeting ZOA’s support, having only been founded around 2000 – I guess a hundred years head start must count for something. I thought Herut recieved 1500 votes, but having just looked it up I see they only received 1154(and this was an increase of 3-fold over the paltry 300 votes from the previous Congress). ZOA was awarded 13 delegates(nearly doubling their delegate count from the previous Congress) and Herut was only awarded 1(same as in the last Congress) out of the 152 US delegates in total. I didn’t mean to imply Herut was more or, even as, influential an organization or that it had greater support -because it isn’t and it doesn’t. I only intended that they were very supportive of Jewish and Israeli values.
But, in any case, a much bigger winner in the US election than ZOA and Herut combined(or ZOA alone, since Herut barely placed even with their vote increase) was the Orthodox Israel Coalition – Mizrachi who more than doubled their votes and increase their awarded delegates to 27 from 24 in the last election. They are a coalition of Orthodox and Zionist groups. I read that their influence will be even greater that this, given that they have many voting communities world-wide.
@ peloni1986:
OK, so two. I like Herut, too. I read their Facebook page, but as far as influence goes, can you really say they’ve made a bigger impact? I see, ZOA got over 10,000 votes at the latest World Jewish Congress. Doesn’t say how many votes Herut got. Do you know? https://www.jns.org/orthodox-groups-make-gain-in-record-setting-votes-for-world-zionist-congress/
@ Sebastien Zorn:
There is also Herut. As far as I am aware, Herut has “taken all the right political positions on the issues that affect Jews and Israel” as you put it. Moshe Phillips is the current national director(I think that is his title) and he publishes frequently on The Lid(great site), but more frequently on Arutz Sheva. On whole I enjoy reading his articles and find I agree most of his statements.
I also like Morty Klein. Very passionate and dedicated to defending our positions. I can’t blame him or Phillips for their inability to sway the Jewish masses. Their was a gentleman who was part of Bush’s(43) administration. I don’t recall his name, but he told a story about his grandfather. He spoke of his grandfather as being a very decent Jewish man who would never find it possible to vote against the Democratic Party. “He would sooner cut of his arm than pull that lever against the Democrats.” He recalled that his grandfather looked upon his Party membership as being tantamount to another aspect of his faith, one that he would never betray. Most of my fellow American Jewish friends are in fact nonsectarian Liberals and have become, more recently, very unpleasantly obnoxious with their deep devotion to the Orange Man Bad mantra, making any discussions pretty ugly. I don’t travel in their confidence circle, so I have not really had much opportunity to dissect clearly what has drawn them from their religious roots. My mother, when challenged over her role in the Republican party in the 1960 election(she was and still is Nixon’s greatest advocate), stated very clearly to a friend that should her faith and her politics ever conflict, she would find it an easy decision to tear up her party membership card(whatever that was). How any Jew could not agree with this principle of religion over party is a mystery to me. But denying this principle is what appears to be driving the American Jewish masses away from their religion as their party turns against their faith. I can not fault Morty Klein or any other Jewish leader’s inability to break this Liberal tether to the masses of American Jewry. But as Edgar G. noted “whatever they are doing… is having little or no effect.” I find it to be a crime against their heritage, and, one that I hope they will soon awaken to before it is too late. If it is not too late already.
There is also Herut. As far as I am aware, Herut has “taken all the right political positions on the issues that affect Jews and Israel” as you put it. Moshe Phillips is the current national director(I think that is his title) and he publishes frequently on The Lid(great site), but more frequently on Arutz Sheva. On whole I enjoy reading his articles and find I agree most of his statements.
I also like Morty Klein. Very passionate and dedicated to defending our positions. I can’t blame him or Phillips for their inability to sway the Jewish masses. Their was a gentleman who was part of Bush’s(43) administration. I don’t recall his name, but he told a story about his grandfather. He spoke of his grandfather as being a very decent Jewish man who would never find it possible to vote against the Democratic Party. “He would sooner cut of his arm than pull that lever against the Democrats.” He recalled that his grandfather looked upon his Party membership as being tantamount to another aspect of his faith, one that he would never betray. Most of my fellow American Jewish friends are in fact nonsectarian Liberals and have become, more recently, very unpleasantly obnoxious with their deep devotion to the Orange Man Bad mantra, making any discussions pretty ugly. I don’t travel in their confidence circle, so I have not really had much opportunity to dissect clearly what has drawn them from their religious roots. My mother, when challenged over her role in the Republican party in the 1960 election(she was and still is Nixon’s greatest advocate), stated very clearly to a friend that should her faith and her politics ever conflict, she would find it an easy decision to tear up her party membership card(whatever that was). How any Jew could not agree with this principle of religion over party is a mystery to me. But denying this principle is what appears to be driving the American Jewish masses away from their religion as their party turns against their faith. I can not fault Morty Klein or any other Jewish leader’s inability to break this Liberal tether to the masses of American Jewry. But as Edgar G. noted “whatever they are doing… is having little or no effect.” I find it to be a crime against their heritage, and, one that I hope they will soon awaken to before it is too late. If it is not too late already.
There is also Herut. Herut is the continuation of the organization that was initated by Jabotinksy and, following his death, was continued by his close associate, Benzion Netanyahu(father of the current PM). As far as I am aware, Herut has “taken all the right political positions on the issues that affect Jews and Israel” as you put it. Moshe Phillips is the current national director(I think that is his title) and he publishes frequently on the Lid, but more frequently on Arutz Sheva. On whole I enjoy reading his articles and find I agree most of his statements.
I also like Morty Klein. Very passionate and dedicated to defending our positions. I can’t blame him for his inability to sway the masses. Their was a gentleman who was part of Bush’s administration. I don’t recall his name, but he told a story about his grandfather. He spoke of his grandfather as being a very decent and charitable and fair man. But, he continued, his grandfather would never find it possible to vote against the Democratic Party. “He would sooner cut of his arm than pull that lever against the Democrats.” He recalled that his grandfather looked upon his Party membership as being tantamount to another aspect of his faith, one that he would never betray. Most of my fellow American Jewish friends are in fact nonsectarian Liberals and have become, more recently, very unpleasantly obnoxious with their deep devotion to the Orange Man Bad mantra, making any discussions pretty ugly. I don’t travel in their confidence circle, so I have not really had much opportunity to dissect clearly what has drawn them from their religious roots. My mother, when challenged over her role in the Republican party in the 1960 election(she was and still is Nixon’s greatest advocate), stated very clearly to a friend that should her faith and her politics ever conflict, she would find it an easy decision to tear up her party membership card(whatever that was). How any Jew could not agree with this principle of religion over party is a mystery to me. But denying this principle is what appears to be driving the American Jewish masses away from their religion as their party turns against their faith. I can not fault Morty Klein or any other Jewish leader’s inability to break this Liberal tether to the masses of American Jewry. But as Edgar G. noted “whatever they are doing… is having little or no effect.” It is a crime against their heritage, and, one that I hope they will soon awaken to before it is too late. If it is not too late already.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
No I don’t mean that they are to blame. And I was not referring to it from it’s founding. I recall from reading that at one time it had a couple of hundred thousand,members. Today it has, according to Wiki (?) 25,000. And an investigative reporter on “The Forward” (I used to get that paper posted weekly to me.) said a few years ago, that they’d exaggerated their numbers by over 100%.
American Jewry is melting all over the country and that also includes ZOA. They are great with instant condemnations, complaInts and lots of talk, motly from Morty Klein.
But what do they DO…? I don’t know, and am not interested enough to find ou/t, because the American Jewish Community is on an inexorable slide downwards., They voted for Obama Clinton and Biden in “droves” (a word Netanyahu was ACCUSED of using-as if it were a crime)
I’m not blaming them as you seem to think, just saying that whatever they are doing, and I don’t know what it is apart from my above observation, is having little or no effect. Chabad have far better results, in my opinion.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
I don’t know of a single other major American Jewish organization that has taken all the right political positions on the issues that affect Jews and Israel. On the Left, you have a vast panoply of appeasers, on the right, there is only ZOA. It’s not their job to better anything except by expressing political positions which is the first thing you have to do and which practically nobody else is doing. The Jewish Press is also a terrific paper. It’s like the American Arutz Sheva. You get a lot of Israeli news, as well.
Edgar G. Said:
You mean since 1897? And that they are to blame?
“Founded in 1897, as the Federation of American Zionists, it was the first official Zionist organization in the United States. Early in the 20th century, it was the primary representative of American Jews to the World Zionist Organization, espousing primarily Political Zionism.
Formerly called: Federation of American Zionists
Abbreviation: ZOA”
Zionist Organization of America – Wikipedia
@ Reader:
I don’t give a darn what YOU think it is. It is what it is, and it’s what I said it is. They are basically used for the factory and low paying jobs that Jews avoid. And why not, their earnings ar about 4-5 times what they’d get from a P.A. Job. The jobs are there, and the Arabs are delighted to get them. It makes them amongst the wealthier classes oi their villages. As for your comment on the Olim, I haveno idea what you mean by it. PLEASE don’t explain.
Every silly complaint you have, I answer with impeccable logic and truth. So why keep doggedly trying to get your completely wrong viewpoints in.
The Israelis don’t need “excuses” to try to get “cheaper help. It’s policy of business they ALL do it. Why Not…?????
@ Edgar G.:
This is an excuse to be able to higher cheaper help.
The olim you describe wouldn’t be the only ones if other olim wouldn’t be “selected out” by JAFI.
@ Edgar G.:
I too have disgarded JPost, and the others and still look at Arutz 7. I had not heard of David Zhang, but I will give him a listen. I had over the past few years read much news on Twitter, but very few of those I read remain and many of the ones remaining are partially insane, I think. I do still read Johnheretohelp on Twitter. He was the whistleblower that Lin Wood referred to earlier this year. He seems somewhat prescient, having predicted much that has come to pass over the past two years which at the time seemed silly and impossible. And no he is not a time traveling alien invader. But he was part of the federal task force that used federal authority to setup the Democrat machine spying and blackmail operations which led to the Russia Coup against Trump. Another good source, I have found over the years is the Last Refuge. He has good instincts and makes many assumptions that are correct(though not all of them) as he has helped collect and decipher much of what was known about the Russia Coup plotters.
@ Reader:
Well, I always thought that the jobs they take are the low paying ones, mainly factory jobs, that Jews don’t seem so eager to get. And there are not that many Olim, who, if they are not young, just beginning their lives, are already professionals and need re-qualifiaction in Hebrew. There’s been a lot of publicity about this in the past, you likely read it.
Israel is amongst the world’s lowest unemployment rates countries..
@ Edgar G.:
The point about the infiltrators, PA workers, and foreign workers is that they take the space and jobs away from the potential olim and Israelis in general.
@ peloni1986:
I used to regularly, daily, begin my day with JP, Times, Ha’Aretz,Debka and Arutz. I quickly discarded Ha’Aretz, then Debka Times and JP. I only read Arutz 7 now, as well as Youtube, and a few other sites, I like the Youtube analyst David Zhang with his programme “Beyond the Noise”, every evening about 5.30. or so. I get to it about 6 or 7 pm which, being a video, can be accessed easily.
I try to see facts behind the blurbs. along with my own logical, analytical (?) common-sense, Sometimes successful, someimes not.
@ Edgar G.:
Reader Said:
I didn’t now there were that many .I thought those in Sth Tel Aviv were the vast majority, and numbered about 20,000 or so. As for the PA workers they are separate and an established practice, for the past many years and are legal-at least the vast majority. .
@ Sebastien Zorn:
I know about this, but it does not change my belief. According to data I’ve researched, there are fewer than 5 million voting age Jews, less than 10% of whom are Orthodox, 90,000 chasidim in Rockland Counry alone.. Morty can talk tough, good, but he has no idea how his members voted. The figures speak more plainly. According to a Wiki entry ZOA claims 25,000 members. Other sources say that the “paid member” numbers are highly inflated, and the organisation is mainly being supported by several extrememly wealthy donors.
Whatever it is Sebastien, I don’t regard Times of Israel as anything special in the way of accurate info. Wiki also, but I checked several sources.
ZOA has done nothing really concrete to better the Jewish presence in the US. One might say that since ZOA was organised, the Orthodox Jewish presence has shrunk by …I don’t know how much, but let us be conservatively generous and say, 60%.
Morty is mainly just a big mouth. Good talker, and on the right subject, but all he is doing is making Jewish presence visible. And the Chasidim do that a lot better. Habad, for instance.
If Israel is going to keep surrendering its land to the Arabs, and keeps refusing to settle it, and keeps letting the Arabs settle it instead, and letting in hundreds of thousands of illegal infiltrators from Africa and foreign and PA workers instead of the Diaspora Jews, then this means that Israel, in fact, agrees that those who call it an occupier are right.
Makes sense?
So its enemies think that if they push a little more, they will be able to dismantle Israel piece by piece because Israel keeps giving them hope that it can be done.
@ Edgar G.:
Sure about that? https://www.timesofisrael.com/right-wing-jewish-groups-rjc-and-zoa-wont-say-president-elect-biden-for-now/
So ZOA is “appalled”…I dot a fect…. They can talk, and do, but can they DO…? NO they can’t. Many or most of their supporters voted for the recent llegal incumbent of the Presidential Chair, in other words were accessories to the STEAL.
SO whether they talk or shut up, it will have the same outcome…