[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 624 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                      October 15, 2007.
Whereas Israel joined the United Nations in 1949, as the 59th member of that 
        organization;
Whereas the preamble of the Charter of the United Nations stated that its 
        objective was to ``to save succeeding generations from the scourge of 
        war . . . and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the 
        dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and 
        women and of nations large and small . . .'';
Whereas the United Nations has failed to live up to its goal to promote equal 
        rights among states, as enshrined in its charter, in the case of Israel;
Whereas the democratic State of Israel is denied full representation within the 
        United Nations, and its constituent agencies and bodies, yet repressive 
        regimes in violation of United Nations human rights principles are 
        afforded full rights and privileges;
Whereas in May 2000, Israel accepted an invitation to become a temporary member 
        of the United Nations' Western European and Others Group (WEOG), and in 
        May 2004, Israel was granted an indefinite extension of its qualified 
        membership in WEOG;
Whereas since Israel was accepted as part of WEOG in 2000, it has had the right 
        to apply for positions on United Nations committees;
Whereas the State of Israel is the only member of WEOG in a conditional status;
Whereas Israel is excluded from discussions and consultations of WEOG at the 
        United Nations offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Rome, and Vienna;
Whereas Israel has been refused admission to the Asian States Group of the 
        United Nations, thereby being denied the rights and privileges of full 
        membership in the United Nations;
Whereas Israel has submitted its candidacy for membership on the United Nations 
        Security Council for 2019 and hopes to gain the full participation 
        rights in the United Nations to which it is entitled as a sovereign 
        state;
Whereas at the opening of the 61st United Nations General Assembly in 2006, 
        former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated that 
        ``supporters of Israel feel that it is harshly judged by standards that 
        are not applied to its enemies . . . and too often this is true, 
        particularly in some UN bodies'';
Whereas Israel has played an active role in the international community and 
        within the United Nations;
Whereas Israel already sits on several important committees in the United 
        Nations, and representatives from Israel have served as deputy chairs in 
        the United Nations numerous times;
Whereas Israelis were first elected to notable United Nations positions in 1994, 
        including the high administrative tribunal at the Hague, Vice Chair of 
        the World Health Organization's Executive Committee and the Human Rights 
        Committee, in June 2005 Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Dan 
        Gillerman, was appointed one of the 21 new vice presidents of the 
        General Assembly, and in July 2005, Israel was elected to deputy 
        chairmanship of the United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC);
Whereas, on June 19, 2007, for the first time since Israel joined the United 
        Nations, an Israeli diplomat, Mr. Ron Adam, Director of the Israeli 
        Foreign Ministry's United Nations Political Affairs Department, was 
        chosen to chair a United Nations committee, the Committee on Program and 
        Coordination (CPC);
Whereas this 33 member body (composed of Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Benin, 
        Brazil, Bulgaria, the Republic of Central Africa, China, Comoros, Cuba, 
        France, Ghana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, 
        Kenya, Pakistan, Portugal, Korea, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, 
        Switzerland, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, United States, and Israel) 
        approves the work plan for all United Nations agencies and bodies;
Whereas Israel's first unique appointment to chair a United Nations committee 
        will hopefully encourage the normalization of Israel's bilateral and 
        multilateral relations and challenge future disproportionate United 
        Nations condemnation of Israel;
Whereas anti-Semitic rhetoric and sentiment within United Nations fora have been 
        of grave concern to the United States and other responsible nations;
Whereas United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 (1975) concluded that 
        ``Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination'' and the 
        General Assembly, by a vote of 111-25, revoked Resolution 3379 in 1991 
        in response to strong leadership by the United States;
Whereas the goals of the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism 
        were undermined by hateful, anti-Jewish rhetoric and anti-Israel 
        political agendas, prompting both Israel and the United States to 
        withdraw their delegations from the Conference;
Whereas, in 2004, at the first United Nations Department of Public Information 
        Seminar on Anti-Semitism, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi 
        Annan acknowledged that ``the United Nations' record on anti-Semitism 
        has at times fallen short of our ideals''; and
Whereas, in 2005, the United Nations held an unprecedented session to 
        commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz 
        concentration camp: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) congratulates the Government and people of the State of Israel 
        on Israel's first ever appointment to chair a United Nations committee;
            (2) supports continued expansion of Israel's role at the United 
        Nations;
            (3) welcomes recent attempts by the United Nations to address the 
        issue of prevailing anti-Semitism;
            (4) calls on the United Nations to officially and publicly condemn 
        anti-Semitic statements made at all United Nations meetings and hold 
        accountable United Nations Member States that make such statements;
            (5) urges the members of the United Nations' Western European and 
        Others Group (WEOG) to extend full and permanent membership to Israel, 
        without conditions, until such time as Israel can serve as an effective 
        member of the Asian States Group of the United Nations; and
            (6) calls upon United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to 
        continue to work to end any unfair vilification of Israel at the United 
        Nations and ensure Israel's full participation in, and access to, all 
        international fora under United Nations auspices.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.