WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced a resolution today congratulating Israel on the election of its UN Ambassador, Dan Gillerman, as a Vice-President of the United Nations. Gillerman will be only the second Israeli General Assembly Vice-President in UN history. The last was in 1952 when Abba Eban held the position. Schiff was joined by Congressman Steve Chabot (R-OH), vice-chairman of the Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee.
The resolution applauds the election of Israel’s Ambasador as Vice-President and calls on Congress to support continued expansion of Israel’s role at the United Nations.
The resolution also calls on Kofi Annan to end the vilification of Israel at the UN and support Israel’s right to join the Asian regional grouping. The UN is organized by region and geographically Israel should be in the Asian regional group but several Arab states in that group have refused to permit Israel’s entry. This exclusion had prevented Israel from serving as President of the General Assembly or as a member of any bureau in the General Assembly and its main committees.
As of 2000, Israel became a temporary member of the Western European and Other States Group (WEOG), which includes the United States. On April 21, 2005, Israel was nominated as a candidate for Vice-President of the 60th General Assembly and was elected by the 191 members of the General Assembly, on June 13, 2005.
“Israel’s election victory is a step in the right direction after decades of unstinting and undeserved criticism at the UN,” said Schiff. “Now the UN must go further and ensure Israel, a great friend and democracy in the region, is admitted into the Asian regional grouping.”
Congressman Schiff is the co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of both the House Judiciary and International Relations committees. He represents California’s 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.
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