Recognized

U.N. recommends
accepting Hadassah.

MICHAEL J. JORDAN
Special to the Jewish News

New York
t has been almost a decade since
di the United Nations rescinded its
notorious "Zionism is Racism" resolu-
tion, but some Jewish groups are still
fighting that lingering sentiment.
On Tuesday, a committee of the
influential U.N. Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC) finally recom-
mended that Hadassah (the women's
Zionist organization), be elevated to
"consultative" status. That would allow
Hadassah to take part in international
policy matters relating to medical
research and treatment, refugee relief,
immigrant absorption and the rescue
of children from war-torn countries.
The final vote is expected in June.
Three times in the past year, several
Arab countries and the Palestinian
Authority have attacked Hadassah, an
89-year-old international humanitari-
an organization, as inherently political
due to the "Zionist" in its name.
The Palestinian representative and
others delayed a vote by demanding
that Hadassah answer questions, such
as whether Hadassah-Hebrew
University Medical Center in
Jerusalem was in fact a "settlement."
But in recent months, U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations
Richard Holbrooke and Sen. Jesse
Helms, R-N.C., chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, joined
several Jewish groups to pressure
ECOSOC to embrace Hadassah.
The ECOSOC committee approved
Hadassah's application 9-5; the United
States, Turkey, Bolivia, Chile,
Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Germany
and Romania said yes while Sudan,
Algeria, Cuba, Lebanon and Pakistan
voted no with three abstentions.
"Although it was pointed out that the
`Zionism is Racism' resolution was
rescinded, there was still a strong feeling
that this is so, that we are a political
organization, not a humanitarian organ-
ization," said Bonnie Lipton, Hadassah's
national president. "But we know we
have a lot to offer to make the world a
better place, and a healthier place.
"The irony," she said, "is that our hos-
pital treats both Israelis and Palestinians,
and after terrorist attacks, we treat per-
petrators and victims alike." 0

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1/19

2001

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