 JANUARY 7 • 2021 | 9

statements of these U.N. 
bodies explicitly endorse the 
“right of return.” 
Thus, the U.N. 
propaganda apparatus gives 
this major obstacle to peace 
the official imprimatur 
of the international 
community. Under these 
circumstances, why would 
the Palestinians ever give up 
this demand? 
Yet every year, the 
resolutions authorizing these 
bodies pass in the General 
Assembly by large majorities. 
It is highly unlikely that 
many of the leaders of the 
countries voting in favor of 
these bodies are aware of 
their true nature or of their 
activities. 
It is time for the 
Palestinians to join their 
fellow Arabs in accepting 
the existence of the State 
of Israel and negotiating 
a peace with it. Such a 
peace would greatly benefit 
Israelis, Palestinians, the 
Arab states and the world as 
a whole. 
A good first step 
would be abandoning the 
baseless claim of a “right 
of return.” But for this to 

happen, the international 
community, including the 
United Nations, needs to 
stop recklessly coddling 
Palestinian rhetoric and 
activities, particularly the 
“right of return.” The first 
step would be for the U.N. 
to stop funding CEIRPP and 
DPR.
One optimistic sign: Over 
the past two years, more 
than a dozen European 
states have voted against 
the resolution authorizing 
the Palestine Division. As 
a result, support for that 
resolution has plummeted, 
from 114 yes votes in 2011 
to only 82 this year — far 
less than half of the number 
of General Assembly 
members.
The best contribution 
that the United Nations 
can make to the cause of 
Israeli-Palestinian peace is 
to permanently close down 
these anachronistic and 
obstructionist bodies. 

Richard P. Schifter is chair and 

Gil Kapen is deputy director of 

the American Jewish International 

Relations Institute-Bnai Brith 

International. Kapen grew up in 

Metro Detroit.

