Israel, Jews, Hadassah and the United Nations

United Nations photo courtesy of Hadassah.

The January 2025 Hadassah policy statement titled, “Fighting Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Sentiment at the United Nations” gave me pause. The statement outlines grievances against the UN and asks the US and other foreign countries to support Israel at the UN. But I wonder: Are the majority of Jews aware of what goes on at the UN and how our world is affected by its decisions? Do Jews worldwide know the UN’s history, purpose and objectives?

Very briefly, according to the UN website: “The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. Currently made up of 193 Member States, the UN and its work are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter.

“The UN has evolved over the years to keep pace with a rapidly changing world. But one thing has stayed the same: it remains the one place on Earth where all the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity.”

Doesn’t that sound lofty and idealistic? If only it didn’t often seem disingenuous.

According to the ADL:
“The United Nations (UN) played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Jewish State by passing UN Resolution 181 in 1947, which called for the partition of British Mandate Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. Following Israel’s independence in 1948, the Jewish State became an official member-state of the international body.

“At the same time, this international body has a continuing history of a one-sided, hostile approach to Israel. After decades of bias and marginalization, recent years have brought some positive developments for Israel at the UN. Nonetheless, the UN’s record and culture continue to demonstrate a predisposition against Israel.”

I am reminded of a conversation that took place this past summer at a luncheon with approximately 10 of my cousins. My cousin, Beth, a lawyer married to an Israeli who lost a relative in the October 7 massacre, was talking about recent events when she brought up the UN, calling the organization antisemitic. My other cousins looked at her inquisitively, clearly confused. Meanwhile, sitting across from her, I was vigorously nodding my head in agreement.

“What?” her own sister asked. “What do you mean the UN is antisemitic?” asked another cousin. At that time, Hadassah and other organizations, journalists from various countries and Jews around the globe were already decrying the refusal of the UN to admonish Hamas for its actions during the October 7 attack in southern Israel.

Still today, with horrific images and testimony brought to light again and again, the UN has made no statement condemning Hamas’ crimes against humanity nor any statements  in support of Israel’s right to defend itself. As a matter of fact, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese is quoted as saying, “the victims [of October 7] were not killed because of their Judaism, but in response to Israel’s oppression.”

My intelligent lawyer cousin even knew the shocking truth that some UN staff from UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, were involved in the October 7 attack. The good news is that the Biden Administration and President Trump both halted funding to UNRWA for this reason.

On September 27, 2024, I remember watching on television as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN in person. He attempted to put the Hamas-Israel war in perspective and spoke of the hostages in captivity. What I found to be particularly discouraging was that there were UN members who chose not to attend and that there were protests outside the UN building as the Prime Minister spoke.

Dare I even mention that the International Criminal Court — the international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands — put an arrest warrant out on Netanyahu for “Israel’s war crimes”?

It is impossible to defeat or even weaken antisemitism when it is not denounced by the international community at large.

As stated in Hadassah’s policy statement on anti-Israel sentiment at the United Nations that I referenced above, in 2024, the Palestinian Authority was granted unprecedented privileges to participate in UN General Assembly activities. It has used its new powers to introduce and pass biased and one-sided resolutions that attempt to strip Israel of its sovereignty and obligation to defend its citizens.

Consider also the Palestinian-fronted resolution that passed the General Assembly, calling for Old City Jerusalem to be Jew-free. I have no words.

But there is a positive note to report: There exists The United Nations Outreach Programme on the Holocaust which, according to the UN website, “was established by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/7, with a simple and stark aim to mobilize civil society for Holocaust remembrance and education, in order to help prevent future acts of genocide.” According to the UN website, the Programme has spawned global initiatives with global partners.

The Programme, the UN website states, “is an expression of the United Nations’ commitment to countering hatred, and to building a world in which everyone can live with dignity and in peace.”

Officially, the UN has a zero tolerance stance and has held special sessions and briefings to combat antisemitism. But this conglomeration of actions reminds me of the concept of taking five steps forward and 10 steps back because with every positive step I read about, there seems to be a negative countermeasure.

I commend Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, for its unending efforts to confront the grave injustice toward Israel in one of the world’s most important global organizations.

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Diane is a member of the Hadassah Writers’ Circle, a dynamic and diverse writing group for leaders and members to express their thoughts and feelings about all the things Hadassah does to make the world a better place, to celebrate their personal Hadassah journeys and to share their Jewish values, family traditions and interpretations of Jewish texts. Since 2019, the Hadassah Writers’ Circle has published nearly 450 columns in the Times of Israel Blog and other Jewish media outlets. Interested? Please contact hwc@hadassah.org.