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US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said it is “undeniable” that anti-Semitism still exists and is even getting worse in some places and emphasized the need to develop more effective tools to monitor and confront anti-Semitism online and in social media.
By: Barney Breen-Portnoy/The Algemeiner
It is “undeniable” that anti-Semitism still exists and is even getting worse in some places, a top-ranking American diplomat told a United Nations forum in New York on Wednesday.
“[T]he sheer geographic diversity of the hate is really quite striking,” US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said during an address at the world body’s headquarters in New York.
Power made three recommendations on how to tackle the problem of anti-Semitism across the globe.
“First, we need to develop more effective tools to monitor and confront anti-Semitism online and in social media,” Power said, echoing Israeli UN envoy Danny Danon, who in a preceding speech to the same forum on Wednesday called for “immediate and concrete action” against anti-Semitism that is spread on the internet.
Also, Power said, “we must insist on maintaining a distinction between legitimate criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism.”
Finally, Power stated, “we must underscore the fact that anti-Semitism poses a threat not only to Jews, but to the principles of pluralism, diversity, and the fundamental freedoms that we hold most dear. Time and again throughout history, we have seen that when the human rights of Jews are violated, the rights of others are not far behind.”
Power also praised the dozens of Hungarians who have given back a prestigious award after their government decided to grant one to a journalist known for making anti-Semitic and racist comments.
The one-day forum that took place on Wednesday was a follow-up to a special General Assembly meeting on antisemitism that was convened last year. In addition to Power and Danon, participants in Wednesday’s event included UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Canadian Ambassador Marc-André Blanchard and EU Ambassador João Vale de Almeida, among other officials.
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