Israel’s UN Ambassador Danon announces initiative against antisemitism
In Israel, the country’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, announced on September 9 the launch of an international initiative to combat antisemitism. It was presented ahead of the election of the next UN secretary-general, The Jerusalem Post reports.
The initiative will be aimed at turning statements and condemnations of antisemitism into coordinated international action, Danon said. Its participants plan to identify emerging antisemitic threats, develop tools and policies to counter them, and coordinate diplomatic efforts.
Danon said that combating antisemitism is not the responsibility of Israel and the Jewish people alone, but should be the responsibility of the entire international community. He thanked the countries that had already agreed to join, called on other states to join the initiative, and urged them to make combating antisemitism a priority during the election of a new UN secretary-general.
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Speeches at the presentation
US Ambassador to the UN Jeff Bartos, who spoke at the event marking the announcement of the initiative, said that the world was facing a global pandemic of antisemitism. He also criticized UN special rapporteurs, claiming that they harm the organization’s reputation and dignity and discredit the work of other UN staff members.
EU Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein called it completely unacceptable that many Jews feel the need to conceal their identity. She said that antisemitism has no justification and should not be tolerated anywhere or at any time.
