New York
18 March 2009
Ronald S. Lauder calls Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann's comments "extremely unbefitting"
The president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), Ronald S. Lauder, expressed "shock" and "bewilderment" at the statements made on Tuesday by the current chair of the United Nations General Assembly, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann. "Calling Israel an apartheid state, praising Iran's poor human rights record and accusing the United States of demonizing Iran, while calling the UN's own International Criminal Court ‘racist' for issuing an arrest warrant against Sudan's dictator clearly show where Mr. d'Escoto's political allegiances lie," Lauder said.
"These comments are extremely unbefitting for a president of the UN General Assembly and clearly betray the role of this office. Mr. d'Escoto's blatant defense of what clearly are atrocities being perpetrated in Iran and Sudan demonstrate a callousness towards genuine human rights abuses. His continuous criticisms of Israel display his deeply held bias against the Jewish state," added Lauder.
Lauder pointed out that d'Escoto's statements to the press in which he professed "love" for Israel and the Jewish people squarely contradicted the former Nicaraguan foreign minister's own past statements. "Action speaks louder than words," said Lauder. He equated d'Escoto Brockmann's repeated outbursts against Israel with the attempts by others to hijack the UN's agenda in order to deflect from the real problems facing the international community. "Millions of people world-wide are suffering from racism, persecution and human rights abuses. Yet, senior UN officials such as Mr. d'Escoto have nothing else to do than to condemn Israel. That is a disgrace," he declared.
The World Jewish Congress is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 92 countries. Founded in Geneva in 1936, the WJC serves as the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people to governments and international organizations.