Situation in the OPT – Letter from Israel

ELIMINATION OF RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Letter dated 8 February 1993 from the Permanent Representative of Israel

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to bring to your attention a recent manifestation of anti-Semitism and religious intolerance in a letter from the PLO circulated as an official document of the United Nations.

In a letter dated 7 October 1992 sent to the United Nations Office at Geneva addressed to the Under-Secretary-General for Human Rights (E/CN.4/1993/70), the observer for the PLO in Geneva wrote as follows:

"It would appear that the Israeli occupation authorities, who are today celebrating the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), are never fully happy even on religious occasions unless their celebrations, as usual, are marked by Palestinian blood and the immolation of innocent defenceless members of the Palestinian people."

The aforementioned statement by the observer for the PLO in Geneva is a slanderous and malicious attack on the Jewish religion and the Jewish people. It recalls the anti-Semitic blood libels and ritual murder charges of the Middle Ages, when Jews were falsely accused of celebrating religious holidays by using the blood of non-Jews for various purposes. Such accusations often served as a prelude to, or pretext for, attacks against Jews, and were designed to provoke fear and hatred of Jews among their non-Jewish neighbours. It is disturbing to see that medieval slurs such as the aforementioned statement continue to be used at the close of the twentieth century. Israel denounces in the strongest possible terms this loathsome form of bigotry and racism.

This incident demonstrates once again the true nature of the PLO.

I would be grateful if you would have the text of the present letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly under the agenda item entitled "Elimination of racism and racial discrimination".

(Signed)  Gad YAACOBI

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

of Israel