Mr. Speaker, I rise in support and as a co-sponsor of H.Res. 438, which urges member states of the United Nations to stop supporting resolutions that unfairly castigate Israel and to promote within the United Nations General Assembly more balanced and constructive approaches to resolving conflict in the Middle East.

Israel is a critical strategic ally of the United States and is the only true democracy in the Middle East.  The United States and Israel are built on a common set of core democratic principles and operate under the rule of law.  The United States and Israel must continue to work closely together to eliminate terrorism and foster the spread of democracy and economic prosperity throughout the Middle East.

The state of Israel, founded shortly after the Holocaust, serves as a safe haven and strong voice for Jews around the world.

The Charter of the United Nations – adopted after the end of World War II – states that the UN was founded to “maintain international peace and security” and “develop friendly relations among nations.”  The Charter also states that “[this] Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.”

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the United Nations has utterly failed to live up to the principles and obligations of its charter when it comes to its treatment of Israel.  The United Nations has a long history of singling out Israel for unfair, biased, and one-sided criticism and treatment.  Let me mention just a few examples.  Israel is the only country that has three special committees set up to support propaganda against it.  Israel is the only country that has had its own agenda item dealing with its alleged human rights violations in annual meetings of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, in contrast to all other countries which are combined into a separate agenda item.  Israel is the only member nation of the United Nations that has consistently been denied full admission to its regional grouping, which violates the UN Charter guarantee of “sovereign equality” and denies Israel the right to fully participate in all UN functions.

Out of the ten emergency special sessions called by the United Nations General Assembly, six have related to Israel.  During last year’s session of the UN General Assembly, the body adopted a total of 71 resolutions by roll call vote, 21 of which (roughly 30 percent) criticized Israel.  These resolutions are biased and one-sided, and I am disappointed that the UN has not focused its efforts on condemning and bringing an end to Palestinian terrorist attacks launched against Israel.

Finally, I want to cite the recent bipartisan task force report issued in June 2005 entitled “American Interests and UN Reform: Report of the Task Force on the United Nations.”  The report, authored by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, found that “systematic hostility” against Israel is “routinely expressed, organized, and funded” within the UN system, which treats Israel as a “second-class citizen.”

Mr. Speaker, the United Nations has a critical role to play in the 21st century in its role as peacekeeper, election monitor, and humanitarian relief provider.  The UN has also made great strides in promoting the rule of law and democracy.  Unfortunately, the UN to date has not played a constructive role in resolving conflict in the Middle East, and the UN allowed itself to be hijacked by those with a political agenda.  I have also written to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and expressed my concerns about anti-Semitic statements made by UN officers, and have urged him to follow the lead of the Helsinki Commission and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in combating anti-Semitism.  I hope today’s resolution will cause the UN and its member states to reevaluate their attitudes toward Israel and to reflect on how they can use the UN to make a constructive and meaningful contribution to international peace and security.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.