Third Committee: Racism

Statement by

Ms. Marina Rosenberg

Israel’s Delegate to the Third Committee

28 October 2011

Mr. Chairman,

Four times each week, Adam Mahadi visits Hava, an elderly Holocaust survivor who lives by herself. Hava says, "Adam brings me food, collects prescriptions from the pharmacy, he fixes things at home, but mainly – he keeps me company. He is interested to know how I am. He listens to me. The hours he spends with me, mean the world for me."  Like Hava, Adam is a survivor of persecution. He is a refugee from Darfour. After arriving in Israel, he decided to start volunteering at a Holocaust Survivor’s Center. Adam lost some of his family members in the war. He finds great meaning in assisting Holocaust survivors.

Both Adam and Hava are survivors of horrific, racially motivated persecution. They both found refuge in Israel, a melting pot where people of all races come together to create a diverse and pluralistic society.

Mr. Chairman,

The Jewish people know the evils of racism all too well. Many walk the earth carrying the living memory of the Holocaust. Six million Jewish people – men, women and children – were murdered in the twentieth century’s greatest genocide.

Only through education, through remembrance, and through constant vigilance can we ensure that the tragedies of the past serve as clear lessons for the future.

The United Nations can – and should – lead such efforts. The International Day of Commemoration to honour the victims of the Holocaust and its associated Outreach Programme serve as very successful examples of such work at the United Nations. The Government of Israel welcomes other initiatives to fight racism, such as the establishment of a permanent memorial in remembrance of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. We recently donated to the Permanent Memorial Trust Fund.

Within the State of Israel, my Government takes decisive action to promote tolerance and understanding.  We view the promotion of tolerance as a primary aim of our educational system. Israeli schools teach pluralism and the importance of preventing racism and xenophobia.  The State Education Law lists among the objectives of the education system, “acquaintance with the language, culture, history, legacy and unique traditions of Israel’s minority groups, and acknowledgment of the equal rights of all Israeli citizens.”

At the judicial level, racism is broadly defined in the Israeli Penal Law, and racial motivation is recognized as an aggravating circumstance.  The law states that “any person committing an offence motivated by racism…or who poses hostility towards someone owing to their religion, religious group, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or due to their status as a foreign worker, is liable to receive double the sentence set for the same offence…”

Israeli police receive extensive training to ensure that they understand and are sensitive to all groups that make up Israeli society.

As Special Rapporteur Muigai stated in his report, A/66/312, “recognition is a vital first step towards ending racial discrimination.” In this regard, my government is well aware of its responsibility to address racism and continues to work with a wide range of partners in civil society to that end.

Mr. Chairman,

Israel did not participate last month in the meeting to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action.

The World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban in 2001, and its proceedings, were misused and abused by some participants.  Entrusted with the mission of countering racism, this conference sadly became a vehicle for advancing hatred, anti-Semitism, intolerance and prejudice against one State: the State of Israel. It is unfortunate that the UN’s efforts to counter racism continue to be undermined by certain Member States for their own cynical political ends.

Mr. Chairman,

As a survivor of the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel, once said: “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” The international community must speak clearly against the perils of racism and hatred. With a strong sense of history, the State of Israel remains at the forefront of this important cause. All members of the international community who are genuinely dedicated to combating racism in a just and professional manner will continue to find a deeply committed partner in the State of Israel.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.