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Alexander Rosemberg

On Holocaust Remembrance Day: Distortions of the UN threaten justice and peace

The core goals of the United Nations and its agencies are increasingly manipulated by antisemitic, anti-democratic, anti-Western powers
Judges for the International Court of Justice rise before delivering a non-binding ruling on Israeli rule in the West Bank and East Jerusalem at the ICJ in The Hague on July 19, 2024. (Nick Gammon/ AFP)
Judges for the International Court of Justice rise before delivering a non-binding ruling on Israeli rule in the West Bank and East Jerusalem at the ICJ in The Hague on July 19, 2024. (Nick Gammon/ AFP)

As I sat within the hallowed halls of the United Nations General Assembly chamber, the weight of history was palpable. The world had gathered to honor the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27 — International Holocaust Remembrance Day — a solemn occasion that underscores our enduring responsibility to prevent such horrors from recurring.

The UN was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II as a bulwark against tyranny and injustice, a beacon of hope meant to uphold human rights and foster global peace. Yet, as leaders commemorated past atrocities, a disconcerting truth emerged: the principles that once guided the UN’s formation are increasingly undermined by the very powers entrusted with their stewardship.

The United Nations and its judicial bodies, like the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), were established to uphold democracy and ensure justice on a global scale. However, over the decades, these institutions have been twisted by political manipulation that threatens their core mission. A turning point was the 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism — though rescinded, it set a precedent for exploiting the UN’s platform. This has evolved into a strategy by contemporary, anti-Western powers, such as Russia and China, to align these institutions with extremist ideologies, manipulating them for their own strategic gains.

The misuse of legal mechanisms like the ICJ and ICC further exemplifies this distortion. Opinions like those on Israel’s West Bank Barrier and Occupied Territories have been wielded as political tools rather than instruments of justice. When South Africa brought proceedings and sought preliminary measures against Israel under the Genocide Convention, including allegations that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, and supported by Ireland’s request that the court expand its interpretation of what constitutes genocide in order to fit an inexistent fact pattern, this trend crystallized — twisting legal definitions and perpetuating antisemitic narratives, reminiscent of historical blood libels, against the Jewish state.

Many UN bodies and officials have come under fire for their anti-Israel agendas or antisemitic bias. Agencies like the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), have also faced scrutiny for associations and alleged support of groups deemed terrorist organizations by international entities, as well as its staff’s involvement in the 10/7 massacre in Israel, not to mention accusations of allowing its facilities to house both terrorists and hide Israeli hostages. The UN Human Rights Council targets Israel with more resolutions than any other state, including notorious human rights abusers. These biased approaches have been normalized in the world’s collective consciousness, perpetuating the anti-Israel bias and even antisemitism, all while compromising the integrity of institutions designed to uphold peace.

To be sure, no nation should be exempt from scrutiny by international bodies, but when the international system singles out one state repeatedly, while turning a blind eye to others, the lines have been crossed into a territory where the systems of scrutiny have been turned into outright weapons for delegitimizing the only Jewish state.

While some Western nations have started recognizing these distortions and are working to counter them, others remain apathetic, and as a result uphold and legitimize these problematic institutions, thereby eroding the core principles upon which the UN system is constructed. Consequently, Israel is recurrently scapegoated and its legitimacy challenged, which fuels global antisemitism.

To counter this exploitation, we must remain vigilant and push for reform. Realigning international institutions with their founding objectives is crucial to ensuring they do not remain conduits for hate-filled, biased agendas, and instead commit to justice and peace.

As we mark this solemn 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we are reminded that commemorations serve not only to honor the past, but also to renew our commitment to a just and peaceful future. The lessons of the Holocaust and World War II remain as urgent as ever, pressing us to resist the manipulation of international platforms for political ends.  By reaffirming the UN’s founding values and resisting institutional distortion, we honor the memory of history’s victims and protect against future atrocities. Let us, the inheritors of these lessons, steer international cooperation away from hate and bias, and back towards integrity and lasting peace.

About the Author
Alexander Rosemberg is the director of International Organizations and Outreach at the ADL, where he focuses on the agency’s diplomatic outreach and advocacy strategy. A native of Venezuela, he is a member of the New Jersey-Israel Commission and is frequently featured in local and national and Hispanic media.
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