The World Jewish Congress Mourns the Death of United States President George H.W. Bush

New York – The World Jewish Congress and its more than 100 affiliated Jewish communities across the globe mourn the passing of former US President George H.W. Bush, and extend the condolences of the international Jewish community to both the Bush family and the American people. 

“President George H.W. Bush was a genuine American hero and a true friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” said WJC President Ronald S. Lauder. “I got to know then Vice President Bush well when I served in the Reagan Administration, and we had many conversations in which he expressed unambiguous sympathy and support for a broad range of Jewish causes.”

“The Jewish people will never forget the instrumental role played by the late President in making possible the dramatic airlift to freedom of Ethiopian Jewry, and his unwavering assistance in enabling Soviet Jews to emigrate,” Ambassador Lauder said. 

“President Bush was also responsible for revoking the scurrilous United Nations resolution that equated Zionism with racism,” Lauder added. “Despite occasional disagreements, he was a firm ally of the State of Israel and worked tirelessly to achieve an end to the Israeli-Arab conflict. As an American, I also stand in awe of his leadership and determination during the first Gulf War that saw the effective end of Saddam Hussein’s threats against the Jewish state. He embodied the values of decency and patriotism at their finest.”