Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

62 | JANUARY 27 • 2022 

An Odious UN Resolution
L

ast month, Dec. 16, 2021, marked the 
30th anniversary of the revoking of 
the odious United Nations resolution 
3379. Adopted by the UN’s general assem-
bly on Nov. 10, 1975, the resolution “deter-
mined” that “Zionism is a form of racism 
and racial discrimination.” 
Think of the basic logic of resolution 
3379. First, there are variations on the 
meaning of Zion. Specifically, 
the word can refer to a hill in 
Jerusalem. The larger mean-
ing, as Merriam-Webster 
dictionary defines the term, 
refers to: “the Jewish home-
land that is symbolic of 
Judaism or of Jewish national 
aspiration.” So, if Zionism is a 
form of racism, then anyone 
— Jewish or non-Jewish — who supports 
a Jewish homeland is inherently a racist. 
By this reasoning, all of us who work for 
and have worked for the Detroit Jewish News
might be considered racists 
This UN resolution also reflects the 
particular politics of the era as well as the 
messy nature of the democratic process at 
the UN. The list of nations voting for res-
olution 3379 largely consists of anti-Israel 
Arab states and supporting allies, including 
such “role-model nations” as Cuba, East 
Germany, Pakistan and Mali. Moreover, 
they were urged on by the Soviet Union 
with its larger agenda of confronting 
the U.S., which was supportive of Israel. 
Western nations voted against the measure.
Israel and the U.S. opposed the resolu-
tion. Chaim Herzog, Israeli ambassador to 
the UN and future president of Israel, noted 
with irony that the resolution was passed 
on the 37th anniversary of Kristallnacht in 
Germany: “For us, the Jewish people, this 
resolution based on hatred, falsehood and 
arrogance, is devoid of any moral or legal 
value. For us, the Jewish people, this is no 
more than a piece of paper and we shall 
treat it as such.” 

Daniel Patrick Moynihan, U.S. ambassa-
dor to the UN, agreed: “[The United States] 
does not acknowledge, it will not abide by; 
it will never acquiesce in this infamous act 
... A great evil has been loosed upon the 
world.”

President Gerald Ford supported this 
position. Even Nelson Mandela said that he 
found the resolution to be “offensive” (Dec. 
13, 1999, JN). 

One need look no further than the 
William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish 
Detroit History to see the impact upon the 
local community. There are 130 pages that 
have discussions of “Zionism is Racism.” 

There are letters from citizens. For 
example, see those from Louis Panush 
(Jan. 4, 1985) and Leslie Rochlen (age 
12) and Margo Shorr (age 11) (Nov. 21, 
1975). 
It is a topic in many articles. Long-
time Jewish Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit official Robert Aronson related 
that, the UN resolution was passed 
within a month of his hire at the 
Milwaukee Federation (before he came 
to Detroit): “That kind of lit my fire.” 
So, he organized a pro-Zionist rally 
attended by 2,000 supporters (Oct. 22, 
1999). Brenda Rosenberg and Samia 
Bahsoun wrote the guest column “Anti-
Zionism is Racism: Why We Need to 
Have the Conversation (April 11, 2013).

In 1991, President George H. W. 
Bush personally introduced the motion 
at the UN that revoked resolution 3379. 
Unfortunately, the sentiments of 
3379 still linger today, on col-
lege campuses and the internet, 
or outside Congregation Beth 
Israel in Ann Arbor. As the 
ADL recently stated, the fight 
is not over. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN 
Foundation archives, available for 
free at www.djnfoundation.org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish 
Detroit History to see the impact upon the 
local community. There are 130 pages that 
have discussions of “Zionism is Racism.” 

There are letters from citizens. For 

example, see those from Louis Panush 
(Jan. 4, 1985) and Leslie Rochlen (age 
12) and Margo Shorr (age 11) (Nov. 21, 

It is a topic in many articles. Long-

time Jewish Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit official Robert Aronson related 

Milwaukee Federation (before he came 
to Detroit): “That kind of lit my fire.” 

attended by 2,000 supporters (Oct. 22, 
1999). Brenda Rosenberg and Samia 
Bahsoun wrote the guest column “Anti-

Have the Conversation (April 11, 2013).

Bush personally introduced the motion 
at the UN that revoked resolution 3379. 

Milwaukee Federation (before he came 

Unfortunately, the sentiments of 

lege campuses and the internet, 

