The Centre lamented that the message "included no mention of terrorism and, in fact, endorsed a designated terrorist organisation on the UN's own watchlist", also stressing that "the meeting showed its true colors by studiously ignoring our proposal for a balanced resolution, calling 'for peace between the Arab State of Palestine alongside the Jewish State of Israel.'"
All signs point to this Israel-bashing exercise having been organised by a group of influencial and determined Belgian French-speaking Israel-bashers: Pierre Galand (Socialist, Université Libre de Bruxelles, founder of the Russell Tribunal for Palestine), Véronique De Keyser (Euro MP, Socialist). Other guests include (well known for their anti-Israel rhetoric) Neve Gordon, Avraham Burg, Clare Short.
"Brussels Meeting on the Role of Europe in Advancing Palestinian Statehood is a 'serial assault'"
Source: CENTRE SIMON WIESENTHAL - EUROPE
"General Assembly September vote on Palestinian status should be conditioned on prior dismantling of pernicious UN Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People"
In a letter to UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, described his experience as the only Jewish NGO attending the Brussels meeting on "The Role of Europe in Advancing Palestinian Statehood and Achieving Peace Between Israelis and Palestinians."
Samuels noted that "this title was nothing but a political euphemism to campaign for the 27 States of the European Union - and the European Institutions themselves - to endorse the September UN General Assembly vote on a Palestinian unilateral declaration of independence", adding "behind that smokescreen, however, the gathering was yet another 'serial assault' against the State of Israel."
The letter listed "campaigns that were discussed, resonant of a 'Third Intifada', - calls for mass demonstrations, beginning in July, by Israeli Arabs and Palestinians in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and by support groups in Europe and North America under the title, 'United for Palestine Independence': -Veiled threats made by delegates e.g. 'this mother of all conflicts can bring violence to all the nations of the world'; 'Palestine will be liberated by a huge anti-apartheid campaign of global civil society'... 'After the vote, we must move from anti-occupation to anti - oppression in a one-state solution'... 'The boycott must be effectively imposed...'"
The Centre suggested, "perhaps we should not be surprised, as this Brussels meeting - following similar initiatives in Latin America and Africa - was organized by the "United Nations Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People", a monster born in the murky shadows of the notorious 1975 Zionism = Racism resolution, which should have been disbanded with that resolution's repeal in 1991.
Samuels claimed that "this Committee has remained intact as a magnet for those States and NGO's with a vested interest in perpetuating the conflict, among them those devoted to wiping Israel off the map...Indeed, several are the spoilers of the Durban antisemitic hatefest".
The letter advised the Secretary-General that his representative opened the meeting with his message, which called for "'a sovereign, viable State of Palestine' from which 'Israel must rollback...encouraging initiatives for Palestinian unity", i.e. with Hamas.
The Centre lamented that the message "included no mention of terrorism and, in fact, endorsed a designated terrorist organisation on the UN's own watchlist", also stressing that "the meeting showed its true colors by studiously ignoring our proposal for a balanced resolution, calling 'for peace between the Arab State of Palestine alongside the Jewish State of Israel.'"
Samuels charged that "the very existence of the 'United Nations Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People" (CEIRPP) continually violates the United Nations Charter...By its delegitimization of the Jewish State, it is a political instrument that threatens a sovereign UN member, impugning its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the Charter.
The Centre urged that "a General Assembly vote on Palestinian status in September be conditioned on the prior dismantling of the pernicious one-sided 'United Nations Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.'"
"Such a step would go far in allowing eventual statehood to be consonant with an end to the conflict.", concluded Samuels
For further information contact Dr. Shimon Samuels on 0033(0)609770158, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter page or mobile device.
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).
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