Israel Blasts U.N. Vote, Stands Firm on Security Barrier
by Fred Jackson and Jody Brown
July 21, 2004
(AgapePress) - A defiant Israel is vowing to continue construction of a security barrier condemned by the U.N. General Assembly. On Tuesday night, U.N. members voted 150-6 against the efforts of the tiny Jewish state to defend itself against terrorism."Thank God that the fate of Israel and of the Jewish people is not decided in this hall." A defiant Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, uttered those words last night in the wake of the vote. Only the United States and five other countries stood with Israel against the majority of U.N. members who say Israel must abide by an International Court of Justice decision to remove the barrier. All 25 members of the European Union voted against Israel.
In reacting to the vote, Gillerman accused U.N. members of showing a casual indifference to Israel's efforts to protect its citizens. "It is simply outrageous to respond with such vigor to a measure that saves lives and [to] respond with such casual indifference and apathy to the ongoing campaign of Palestinian terrorism that takes lives," he said.
According to CNN, the Israeli ambassador accused the U.N. of being duped by a Palestinian propaganda machine. "This is not a recipe for progress, it is a sure recipe for failure," Gillerman added.
Gary Bauer of American Values says the U.N. vote shows the body's "moral depravity." He points out that the fence, whose purpose is to save the lives of Israeli families, has taken no lives. He sees considerable hypocrisy in the vote.
"[T]he European Union unanimously and the United Nations overwhelmingly condemn [the barrier's] construction," he says in a news release. "But when the body parts of Israeli women and children are being collected after another attack from Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Hezbollah or from Arafat's henchmen, the U.N. and the E.U. only wag fingers of disapproval at the terrorists while demanding that Israel not retaliate. This double standard is obscene!"
The barrier -- part fence, part concrete wall -- is planned to be about 425 miles long. About one-third of the barrier has been completed thus far. Despite its partially completed status, the barrier has apparently been effective. CNN notes that according to the website for the Israel Defense Forces, since September 2000 more than 500 Israelis have been killed in homicide bomber attacks that originated from the West Bank, where there is no barrier. Only one homicide bomber came from Gaza, where there is a barrier.
The Assembly vote, like the world court decision, is not legally binding. Only the U.N. Security Council can order the barrier to be torn down. But that is highly unlikely because Israel's closest ally -- the United States -- would almost certainly use its veto power to block any such resolution.
