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ADL Criticizes UN Chief

This past Tuesday, Abraham Foxman, who is the head of the Anti-Defamation League in the United States, had sharp criticism for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan over Annan?s blatant failure to acknowledge Israeli suffering in the current Middle East crisis. Annan was also taken to task for failing to condemn Hizballah`s recent shelling of a U.N. position in southern Lebanon. An earlier, unintentional bombing of an observer post by Israel elicited a harsh language from the U.N. chief, who labeled it an ?apparently deliberate? act by Israel. The Jewish state reacted angrily at the time to the accusation.

In an interview with an Israeli newspaper, Foxman said ?I am stunned that the U.N. Secretary-General cannot find his tongue, except to criticize and denounce Israel. He is unable to raise his voice to denounce Hizballah`s daily firing of hundreds of rockets that are specifically intended to hurt civilians.? Foxman continued, ?When will Annan begin to give Jewish lives the same respect he extends to other human beings??

Israelis have complained that while Annan and the United Nations focus considerable attention on the plight of Lebanese civilians, the nearly two million Israeli civilians either displaced or living in cramped, stuffy bomb shelters for the past four weeks have been forgotten by the global institution. Israel`s leadership has also repeatedly noted that while Jerusalem?s intention has been to target terrorists and their weapons, and avoid Lebanese civilian casualties, Hizballah is purposely aiming rockets and missiles at Israeli civilians and sees their deaths ? and the deaths of Lebanese civilians ? as an achievement.