H. Res. 438 (On Unfair and Discriminatory Resolutions Against Israel in the United Nations)

H. RES. 438 (ON UNFAIR AND DISCRIMINATORY RESOLUTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL IN THE UNITED NATIONS) -- (Extensions of Remarks - December 14, 2005)

* Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this very important bipartisan resolution calling on member states of the United Nations to stop unfairly criticizing Israel and to promote a more balanced approach to the challenges in the Middle East.

* In June of this year, the House overwhelmingly adopted a resolution condemning anti-semitic statements made at U.N. meetings and by U.N. member states. It was proper and appropriate that we publicly and vocally condemn some of the outrageous statements made by U.N. officials and member states.

* However, there also is a more subtle form of anti-semitism that has been taking place at the United Nations for far too long--the alarming rate at which the U.N. General Assembly has considered and adopted anti-Israel resolutions.

* As noted in the text of Mr. Rothman's measure, 21 of the 71 resolutions adopted by rollcall votes during the 59th session of the General Assembly dealt with Israel, and in recent years, the General Assembly and Security Council have introduced and approved hundreds of measures and resolutions that unfairly criticize and condemn Israel.

* At a time when the international community is confronted with crises such as the ongoing terror campaign being waged by AI Qaeda against democracies in every corner of the world, the tragic genocide in Darfur, Sudan, and the continued spread of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, the U.N. General Assembly has seen fit to devote nearly a third of its time to castigating the state of Israel.

* These unbalanced and discriminatory anti-Israel resolutions have been adopted by overwhelming margins. Meanwhile, there has been a disturbing lack of condemnation of Palestinian terror attacks against Israel.

* Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to not only support this resolution, but also to carry its message to the ambassadors, foreign ministers and heads of state with whom they meet on a daily basis: The mistreatment of Israel at the hands of the United Nations has not gone unnoticed, and it is no longer acceptable.

* Furthermore, this obsessive and inappropriate focus on Israel at the United Nations only serves to harm that institution's credibility and to undermine the U.N.'s ability to serve as an honest broker in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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