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Revision as of 21:09, 18 August 2003 by MartinHarper (talk | contribs) (rm "that")(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)On November 10, 1975 the United Nations General Assembly adopted, by a vote of 72 to 35 (with 32 abstentions), Resolution 3379. The resolution was revoked by Resolution 4686 on 16 December 1991, and is often referenced in debates of Zionism and racism.
Background
The 1975 resolution was one of many incidents that reflect a long-standing UN condemnation of Zionism, which is ironic considering that it was a UN resolution that established the state of Israel.
The resolution of 1975
The resolution stated in its conclusion that:
- "Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination."
The resolution "took note" of several previous statements at international meetings calling for the elimination of Zionism:
- The Declaration of Mexico on the Equality of Women and Their Contribution to Development and Peace, stated that: "...international co-operation and peace require the elimination of Zionism"
- Resolution 77 of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity, considered "that the racist regime in occupied Palestine and the racist regime in Zimbabwe and South Africa have a common imperialist origin, forming a whole and having the same racist structure and being organically linked in their policy aimed at repression of the dignity and integrity of the human being".
- The Political Declaration and Strategy to Strengthen International Peace and Security and to Intensify Solidarity and Mutual Assistance among Non-Aligned Countries by the Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Non-Aligned Countries (Lima, Peru) condemned Zionism as racist, imperalist, and a threat to world peace and security.
The Israeli ambassador immediately condemned the resolution: "For us, the Jewish people, this resolution based on hatred, falsehood and arrogance, is devoid of any moral or legal value."
Voting record
Sponsored by: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Cuba, Dahomey, Democratic Yemen, Egypt, Guinea, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Republic, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen Arab Republic.
In favour: (72) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, China, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey, Democratic Yemen, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, German Democratic Republic, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Republic, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania,Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Arab Emirates, Yemen Arab Republic, Yugoslavia.
Against: (35) Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Central African Republic, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malawi, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Swaziland, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay.
Abstaining: (32) Argentina, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burma, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Upper Volta, Venezuela, Zaire, Zambia.
Resolution 4686
Israel made revocation of resolution 3379 a condition of Israel's participation in the Madrid Peace Conference in progress in the last quarter of 1991. Under pressure from the George Herbert Walker Bush administration of the United States, on December 16, 1991 when the UN General Assembly finally revoked Resolution 3379, with a vote of 111 to 25 (with 13 abstentions). The text of the revocation was simply:
- "The general assembly decides to revoke the determination contained in its resolution 3379 (XXX) of 10 November 1985".
This formed resolution 4686, which is one of the shortest in UN history. During this session, President Bush told the General Assembly:
"...to equate Zionism with the intolerable sin of racism is to twist history and forget the terrible plight of Jews in World War II and indeed throughout history."
Majority votes of various UN agencies and bodies continued to assert the phrase "Zionism is racism" as the consensus in their agendas and conclusions, reflecting persistence of this view apart from the resolution. However, under pressure from the United States, under George W. Bush's administration, the phrase was omitted from the agenda of the United Nations Conference on Racism in Durban, South Africa, and its final communiqué.
Voting record
to be written