United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379
UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 | |
---|---|
Date | 10 November 1975 |
Meeting no. | 2400 |
Code | A/RES/3379 (Document) |
Subject | Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination |
Voting summary |
|
Result | Adopted, but revoked on 16 December 1991 |
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379, adopted on 10 November 1975, "Determines that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination" with 72 votes in favour, 35 votes against, and 32 abstentions. It was revoked by Resolution 46/86, adopted on 16 December 1991 with 111 votes in favour, 25 votes against, and 13 abstentions.[1] The vote for Resolution 3379 was held nearly one year after the adoption of Resolution 3236 and Resolution 3237: the former recognized the "Question of Palestine" and invited the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to participate in international diplomacy; and the latter designated the PLO as a non-member Assembly observer following the "Olive Branch Speech" by Palestinian political leader Yasser Arafat.
In the context of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, adopted on 10 November 1963, Resolution 3379 officially condemned the national ideology of the State of Israel. It was sponsored by the Arab League and a number of Muslim-majority countries, and was chiefly supported by in-favour votes from the Second World and many African countries. Israel, which had been granted United Nations membership in 1949, voted against Resolution 3379 and subsequently condemned it, and was chiefly supported by the First World.
Background
Jewish nationalism in Palestine
In July 1920, at the San Remo conference, a Class "A" League of Nations mandate over Palestine was allocated to the British. The preamble of the mandate document declared:
Whereas the Principal Allied Powers have also agreed that the Mandatory should be responsible for putting into effect the
national home for the Jewish people, it being clearly understood that nothing should be done which might prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.[2]
UN Partition Plan for Palestine
On 29 November 1947, the
On 11 May 1949, Israel was admitted to membership in the United Nations.[5]
Text of Resolution 3379
The full text of Resolution 3379:[6][7]
3379 (XXX). Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 1904 (XVIII) of 20 November 1963, proclaiming the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and in particular its affirmation that "any doctrine of racial differentiation or superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous" and its expression of alarm at "the manifestations of racial discrimination still in evidence in some areas in the world, some of which are imposed by certain Governments by means of legislative, administrative or other measures",
Recalling also that, in its resolution 3151 G (XXVIII) of 14 December 1973, the General Assembly condemned, inter alia, the
unholy alliancebetween South African racism and zionism,Taking note of the
in all its forms, as well as the recognition of the dignity of peoples and their right to self-determination",Taking note also of resolution 77 (XII) adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the
origin, forming a whole and having the same racist structure and being organically linked in their policy aimed at repression of the dignity and integrity of the human being",Taking note also of the Political Declaration and Strategy to Strengthen International Peace and Security and to Intensify Solidarity and Mutual Assistance among Non-Aligned Countries, adopted at the Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Non-Aligned Countries held at Lima from 25 to 30 August 1975, which most severely condemned zionism as a threat to world peace and security and called upon all countries to oppose this racist and imperialist ideology,
Determines that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.
Votes of Resolution 3379
In favour (72) 25 states sponsoring |
Abstaining (32) | Against (35) | ||
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|
Australia Austria Bahamas Barbados Belgium Canada Central African Republic Costa Rica Denmark Dominican Republic El Salvador Fiji Finland France West Germany Haiti Honduras Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Liberia Luxembourg Malawi Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Norway Panama Swaziland Sweden United Kingdom United States Uruguay | |||
Source: United Nations Bibliographic Information System[8] |
Response
Israel
In his address to the United Nations General Assembly the same day, 10 November 1975, Israeli Ambassador Chaim Herzog stated:[9]
"I can point with pride to the Arab ministers who have served in my government; to the Arab deputy speaker of my Parliament; to Arab officers and men serving of their own volition in our border and police defense forces, frequently commanding Jewish troops; to the hundreds of thousands of Arabs from all over the Middle East crowding the cities of Israel every year; to the thousands of Arabs from all over the Middle East coming for medical treatment to Israel; to the peaceful coexistence which has developed; to the fact that Arabic is an official language in Israel on a par with Hebrew; to the fact that it is as natural for an Arab to serve in public office in Israel as it is incongruous to think of a Jew serving in any public office in an Arab country, indeed being admitted to many of them. Is that racism? It is not! That ... is Zionism."
Herzog ended his statement, while holding a copy of the resolution, with these words:
"For us, the Jewish people, this resolution based on hatred, falsehood and arrogance, is devoid of any moral or legal value. For us, the Jewish people, this is no more than a piece of paper and we shall treat it as such."
As he concluded his speech, Herzog tore the resolution in half.
The name of the "UN Avenue" in Haifa, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was switched to the "Zionism Avenue" as a response to the UN's decision.[10]
United States
Before the vote, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, warned that, "The United Nations is about to make anti-Semitism international law."[11] He delivered a speech against the resolution, including the famous line, "[The United States] does not acknowledge, it will not abide by, it will never acquiesce in this infamous act ... A great evil has been loosed upon the world."[12]
In
Mexico's vote in favor of the resolution led some United States Jews to organize a tourism boycott of Mexico. This ended after Mexican foreign minister Emilio Óscar Rabasa made a trip to Israel (Rabasa shortly afterward was forced to resign).[14][15]
Revocation
UN General Assembly Resolution 46/86 | |
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Date | 16 December 1991 |
Meeting no. | 74 |
Code | A/RES/46/86 (Document) |
Subject | Elimination of racism and racial discrimination |
Voting summary |
|
Result | Adopted |
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/86, adopted on 16 December 1991, revoked Resolution 3379's designation of Zionism as a form of racism and racial discrimination.[1] Israel had made the revocation a condition for its participation in the Madrid Conference of 1991.[16] The vote on Resolution 46/86 was held shortly after the Gulf War with sponsorship by 88 countries, including the overwhelming majority of both the First World and the Second World, and was chiefly supported by many African countries. The Arab League, most Muslim-majority countries, and four other countries (Cuba, North Korea, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam) voted against it.
In total, the motion to revoke Resolution 3379 received 111 votes in favour, 25 votes against, and 13 abstentions.
Motion by the United States
Resolution 46/86 was raised under pressure from the United States,[17] and American president George H. W. Bush personally introduced the motion to revoke Resolution 3379 with the following statement:
UNGA Resolution 3379, the so-called "Zionism is racism" resolution, mocks this pledge and the principles upon which the United Nations was founded. And I call now for its repeal. Zionism is not a policy; it is the idea that led to the creation of a home for the Jewish people, to the State of Israel. And to equate Zionism with the intolerable sin of racism is to twist history and forget the terrible plight of Jews in World War II and, indeed, throughout history. To equate Zionism with racism is to reject Israel itself, a member of good standing of the United Nations. This body cannot claim to seek peace and at the same time challenge Israel's right to exist. By repealing this resolution unconditionally, the United Nations will enhance its credibility and serve the cause of peace.[17]
Text of Resolution 46/86
The full text of the revocation was simply:[18][19]
"The General Assembly decides to revoke the determination contained in its resolution 3379 (XXX) of 10 November 1975."
Votes of Resolution 46/86
See also
References
- ^ a b Lewis, Paul (17 December 1991). "U.N. Repeals Its '75 Resolution Equating Zionism With Racism". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "The Avalon Project : The Palestine Mandate". Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel". United Nations. 29 November 1947. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- ^ "Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel". GxMSDev. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ Admission of Israel to UN: Retrieved 24 May 2013 Archived 15 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Resolution 3379: Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination Archived 6 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine. UNGA, 10 November 1975 (doc.nr. A/RES/3379 (XXX))
- ^ "Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination: Zionism as racism - GA resolution". Question of Palestine. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "UNBISnet". Archived from the original on 31 December 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- ISBN 9780486315560. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- ^ פדן, יחיעם (2005). Tel Aviv-Jaffa Streets Guide (PDF). p. 158.
- ^ Gil Troy, "Moynihan's Moment: America's Fight Against Zionism is Racism", page 134
- ^ Stanley Meisler, United Nations: A History, 2011, page 215
- ^ "Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "Mexican Heritage Almanac". Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ "Estudios Interdisciplinarios de América Latina y el Caribe". Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "260 General Assembly Resolution 46-86- Revocation of Resolution 3379- 16 December 1991- and statement by President Herzog". GxMSDev. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ a b Address to the 46th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. 23 September 1991. The American Presidency Project
- ^ "A/RES/46/86 of 16 December 1991". 7 December 2012. Archived from the original on 7 December 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "Racism and racial discrimination/Revocation of resolution 3379 ("Zionism as racism") - GA resolution". Question of Palestine. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "UNBISnet". Retrieved 31 August 2017.
External links
- United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 (10 November 1975) (Official UN site)
- Report of the Plenary Meeting A/PV.2400 (Official UN site)
- Israeli Ambassador Herzog's response to Zionism is racism resolution (10 November 1975)
- Ambassador Moynihan's response to Zionism is racism resolution
- Video footage of Ambassador Herzog concluding his remarks and tearing the resolution in half (10 November 1975)
- American Jewish Committees' extensive archive of materials on the Zionism is Racism controversy