Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

The Zionist Organization of America expresses “appall” at the Gaza resolution under UN Security Council consideration—and especially at the US for apparently agreeing to it.

The proposed ceasefire resolution does not specifically condemn Hamas by name, but rather equates Hamas terrorism and the Israeli response to it. The resolution wording condemns “all violence and hostilities directed against civilians, as well as indiscriminate attacks resulting in civilian casualties, and all acts of terrorism.” No differentiation is made between the “indiscriminate attacks” launched by Hamas and intended to kill unarmed civilians, and the Israeli counter-attacks designed to kill only terrorists who hide behind civilians.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said yesterday, “We are appalled that President Obama has chosen to join this initiative to pass a UN Security Council resolution that would grant a tremendous victory to Hamas—a practical victory, in terms of easing the blockade on Hamas-controlled Gaza, and a moral one, by having the military action of both Israel and Hamas condemned as if they were of equal moral quality.”

The resolution under UN consideration was framed by British, French and German diplomats. It was learned yesterday that the U.S. had also joined the initiative. 

The ZOA also condemned the ceasefire proposal for calling to lift parts of Israel’s lawful blockade of Gaza. The organization notes that the blockade is designed to prevent weaponry and war materiel reaching Hamas.

Klein termed the resolution “morally worthless,” in that it does not condemn the Hamas terrorist aggressor by name, even though Hamas is listed by both the US and the EU as a terrorist organization that actively calls for the destruction of Israel. He added that though this is the type of resolution that would normally result in either a US veto or appropriate modifications, “instead, the Obama Administration appears to have climbed on board this shabby, dishonest and fraudulent document, which represent amoral politics of the lowest common denominator.”

The ZOA found some positive in the proposed resolution: “We are aware the resolution contains other, useful elements—prohibition of the sale or supply of weapons and munitions to Gaza, security arrangements to prevent resumption of hostilities—but long experience of the UN system has shown that these calls are merely aspirational and rarely lead to any results.”

 “We call upon the U.S. Congress and indeed all Americans to urge the Obama Administration to amend or else veto this resolution,” the ZOA concludes.