World Jewish News

Jewish delegation to UN head Guterres: 'Your principled public stance against anti-Semitism is admired by Jews around the w

“On behalf of World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder, I would like to stress that your principled public stance against anti-Semitism is admired by Jews around the world,” WJC CEO Robert Singer told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a private meeting in Jerusalem.

"We are grateful to have you as our determined ally in this fight," he added.

During a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, Guterres pledged to “do everything possible to fight antisemitism in all its expressions.”

“Antisemitism — my own country also lived it and I would recall the most tragic moment of them all with the expulsion of the Jews in the beginning of the 16th century,” the Portuguese national said. “I believe that the horror of the Holocaust should be such that antisemitism should now be dead forever but, unfortunately, we see it alive and well.”

Guterres, who is on his first visit to Israel since becoming head of the UN at the beginning of this year, declared Monday during a meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin that ‘’calling for Israel’s destruction is a form of modern anti-Semitism” and said he would treat Israel with “impartiality” amid vocal complaints by Israeli officials that the world body is biased against the Jewish state.

“I do believe that in particular when you mention those who call for the destruction of the State of Israel that that is a form of modern anti-Semitism,” Guterres told President Rivlin.

“But you also understand that I sometimes disagree with positions of the government of Israel or any other government, and that is absolutely normal in a society where many of your citizens have exactly the same expressions of opinions,” he added.

“We will always be very frank in the dialogue with the State of Israel in trying to find ways for peace to be possible in this region, but we will always be very committed to make sure anti-Semitism doesn’t prevail and that equality in the treatment of all states is fully respected,” he said.

Guterres met with a delegation headed by Dan Meridor, President of Israel Council on Foreign Relations, and WJC CEO Singer, together with Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem for discussions on matters including the Middle East peace process and Israel’s role at the UN and within the wider Arab world.

This is the only official meeting Guterres held with a Jewish organization during his visit to Israel.

Singer told Guterres in opening remarks: “We could never have imagined that swastikas would be openly displayed in the streets of Europe and even one of America's most historic university towns. Only 75 years after the mass deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto, could anyone have believed that Jews in many European capitals would again fear for their lives?.’’

Ambassador Danon said: “Anti-Semitism is not extinct; it has returned, and it raises its ugly head in the heart of progressive and liberal societies. It is precisely today that the entire world must establish a united front against anti-Semitism and denounce it. We appreciate the Secretary General's clear commitment in this important struggle."

EJP