JEWISH WORLD

By DAVID HARRIS I t’s appalling to see how Israel is treated by a totally different standard than other countries in the international system. Of course, Israel deserves scrutiny, as does every other nation. But it also merits equal treatment — nothing more, nothing less. First, Israel is the only UN member state whose very right to exist is under constant challenge. Notwithstanding the fact that Israel embodies an age-old con- nection with the Jewish people as repeatedly cited in the most wide- ly read book in the world, the Bible, that it was created based on the 1947 recommendation of the UN, and that it has been a member of the world body since 1949, there’s a relentless chorus of nations, institutions, and individu- als denying Israel’s very political legitimacy. No one would dare question the right to exist of many other coun- tries whose basis for legitimacy is infinitely more questionable than Israel’s, including those that were created by brute force, occupation, or distant mapmakers. Just look around at how many nations fit those categories, including, by the way, quite a few Arab countries. Why, then, is it open hunting sea- son only on Israel? Could it possi- bly have anything to do with the fact that it’s the only Jewish- majority country in the world? Second, Israel is the only UN member state that’s been targeted for annihilation by another UN member state. Think about it. The leadership of Iran, together with Iran-funded proxies in Lebanon and Gaza, has repeatedly called for wiping Israel off the map. Is there any other country facing the threat of geno- cidal destruction? Third, Israel is the only nation whose capital city, Jerusalem, is not recognized by other nations. Imagine the absurdity of this. Foreign diplomats live in Tel Aviv while conducting virtually all their business in Jerusalem. Though no Western nation questions Israel’s presence in the city’s western half, where the prime minister’s office, Knesset (Parliament), and Ministry of Foreign Affairs are located, there are no embassies there. In fact, look at listings of world cities, including places of birth in passports, and you’ll see some- thing striking — Paris, France; Tokyo, Japan; Pretoria, South Africa; Lima, Peru; and Jerusalem, sans country — orphaned, if you will. Fourth, the UN has two agen- cies dealing with refugees. One, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), focuses on all the world’s refugee populations, save one. The other, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA), handles only the Palestinians. But the difference goes beyond two structures and two bureaucra- cies. In fact, they have two differ- ent mandates. UNHCR seeks to resettle Ten ways Jewish State is badly-treated by other nations Israel Is World’s Target JEWISH WORLD • JANUARY 26- FEBRUARY 1, 2018 5 FIRST PERSON Israel is the target of many foreign governments even though the Jewish state is the only democracy in the Middle East. First, Israel is the only UN member state whose very right to exist is under constant challenge. continued on page 26