Arthur Stark, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations issued the following statement:
We are strongly opposed to the recent United Nations General Assembly vote on A/73/L.5, which has granted the “State of Palestine” additional rights and privileges as the Chair of the Group of 77, including the ability to submit proposals and amendments and introduce them on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. We are concerned that what was once a group created to facilitate the economic advancement of underdeveloped nations will now be a platform for misrepresentation and incitement in regard to Israel-related issues, augmenting the well-documented anti-Israel bias in the UN.
While terrorist organizations continue to use Palestinian territory and resources to launch rocket attacks against Israeli civilians, and the Palestinian Authority continues to reward murderers or their families for killing innocent Israelis, it is irresponsible of the UN to further legitimize and empower an entity that remains consistently hostile towards its neighbor.
We agree with Amb. Nikki Haley’s strong statement in opposition to this resolution, in which she declared, “Today’s UN mistake undermines the prospects for peace by encouraging the illusion held by some Palestinian leaders that they can advance their goals without direct peace negotiations. In fact, today’s vote does nothing to help the Palestinian people.”
The G77 was formed in 1964 and now represents over 80 percent of the world’s population. The group often speaks in a unified way in the General Assembly, on behalf of some 130 countries. The Palestinian Authority was granted observer state status in 2012, but they are still unable to vote on any General Assembly resolutions.
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