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UN General Assembly Resolution 3379
November 10, 1975

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Introduction

In 1975, following a conference in Mexico, the UN General Assembly approved the following resolution, supported by Arab, African and Soviet bloc states, asserting that Zionism is racism. Logically, this declaration nullified the UN resolutions that had brought about the creation of the State of Israel, and formally, it denied the right of self-determination to the Jewish people. The resolution was adopted against the background of Israeli economic cooperation (and probably defense cooperation) with the apartheid regime of South Africa. These ties were maintained in part with an eye to the well-being and safety of the large Jewish community of South Africa.

The resolution passed 72 to 35 with 32 abstentions. It evoked a memorable speech from the United States representative to the UN, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who said,

The United States, rises to declare before the General Assembly of the United Nations and before the world that it does not acknowledge, it will not abide by, it will never acquiesce in this infamous act.

Fiery rhetoric to the contrary notwithstanding, the US did not veto a proposal the following month to seat the PLO as observers in the UN Security Council.

The practical effect of this resolution was to eliminate more or less permanently any residual moral influence of the United Nations on the Jewish Israeli public. It gave great impetus to the most extreme Zionist politicians who asserted that Israel was completely surrounded by enemies and could never expect any justice from the international community, reminiscent of German propaganda prior to World War II. The "Zionist is Racism" resolution became the justification for establishment of new settlements in the West Bank and stymied attempts to further a negotiated solution. In 1991, following the collapse of the apartheid regime in South Africa and of the former Soviet Bloc, and against the background of the war against Saddam Hussein, this resolution was repealed. However, the same sentiment surfaced again at the Durban conference in South Africa in the summer of 2001.


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THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

RECALLING its resolution 1904 (XVIII) of 20 November 1963, proclaiming the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and in particular its affirmation that "any doctrine of racial differentiation or superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous" and its expression of alarm at "the manifestations of racial discrimination still in evidence in some areas in the world, some of which are imposed by certain Governments by means of legislative, administrative or other measures",

RECALLING ALSO that, in its resolution 3151 G (XXVIII) of 14 December 1953, the General Assembly condemned, inter alia, the unholy alliance between South African racism and Zionism,

TAKING NOTE of the Declaration of Mexico on the Equality of Women and Their Contribution to Development and Peace 1975, proclaimed by the World Conference of the International Women's Year, held at Mexico City from 19 June to 2 July 1975, which promulgated the principle that "international co-operation and peace require the achievement of national liberation and independence, the elimination of colonialism and neo-colonialism, foreign occupation, Zionism, apartheid and racial discrimination in all its forms, as well as the recognition of the dignity of peoples and their right to self-determination",

TAKING NOTE ALSO of resolution 77 (XII) adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity at its twelfth ordinary session, held at Kampala from 28 July to 1 August1975, which considered "that the racist regime in occupied Palestine and the racist regime in Zimbabwe and South Africa have a common imperialist origin, forming a whole and having the same racist structure and being organically linked in their policy aimed at repression of the dignity and integrity of the human being",

TAKING NOTE ALSO of the Political Declaration and Strategy to Strengthen International Peace and Security and to Intensify Solidarity and Mutual Assistance among Non-Aligned Countries, adopted at the Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Non-Aligned Countries held at Lima from 25 to 30 August 1975, which most severely condemned Zionism as a threat to world peace and security and called upon all countries to oppose this racist and imperialist ideology,

DETERMINES that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.

 

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