IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 624 

Congratulating the State of Israel on chairing a United Nations committee 

for the first time in history. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 4, 2007 

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself and Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating the State of Israel on chairing a United 

Nations committee for the first time in history. 

Whereas the State of Israel is the only member of the Western and Others Group in a conditional status limiting its 

ability to caucus with its fellow members of this regional 

grouping, compete for open seats, or to run for positions 

in major bodies of the United Nations, such as the Security Council, or United Nations-affiliated agencies, such 

as the United Nations Human Rights Council; 

Whereas Israel is excluded from discussions and consultations 

of the Western and Others Group at the United Nations 

offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Rome, and Vienna; 

Whereas Israel has been refused admission to the Asian 

Group of the United Nations, thereby being denied the 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
2 

•HRES 624 IH 

rights and privileges of full membership in the United 

Nations; 

Whereas Israel has submitted its candidacy for membership 

on the Security Council for 2019 and hopes to gain full 

participation rights in the United Nations; 

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’’; 

Whereas, in 2005, the United Nations held an unprecedented 

session to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp; 

Whereas at the opening of the 61st General Assembly in 

2006, former United Nations Secretary General Kofi 

Annan stated that ‘‘on one side, 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, in January 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution condemning 

any denial of the Holocaust; 

Whereas, on June 19, 2007, for the first time ever since 

Israel joined the United Nations, an Israeli diplomat, Mr. 

Ron Adam, director of the Israel Foreign Ministry’s 

United Nations Political Affairs Department, has been 

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, 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
3 

•HRES 624 IH 

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 since Israel was accepted as part of the Western 

Europe and Others Group (WEOG) in 2000, it has had 

the right to apply for positions on United Nations committees; 

Whereas Israel has played an active role in the international 

community and within the United Nations; 

Whereas Israel already sits on several important committees, 

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); 

and 

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: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
4 

•HRES 624 IH 

1 (1) congratulates Mr. Ron Adam, Israel’s Chair 

2 of the United Nations Committee on Program and 

3 Coordination, and the Government and people of the 

4 State of Israel on Israel’s first ever appointment to 

5 chair a United Nations committee; 

6 (2) supports continued expansion of Israel’s 

7 role at the United Nations; 

8 (3) welcomes recent attempts by the United 

9 Nations to address the issue of prevailing anti-Semi10 tism; 

11 (4) calls on the United Nations to officially and 

12 publicly condemn anti-Semitic statements made at 

13 all United Nations meetings and hold accountable 

14 United Nations Member States that make such 

15 statements; 

16 (5) urges the members of WEOG to extend full 

17 and permanent membership to Israel, without condi18 tions, until such time as Israel can serve as an effec19 tive member of the Asian States Group; and 

20 (6) calls upon United Nations Secretary-Gen21 eral Ban Ki-Moon to work to end any unfair vilifica22 tion of Israel at the United Nations and to use his 

23 good offices to support Israel’s bid to join the Asian 

24 regional grouping. 

Æ 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS