Pages of history: the repeal of UN Resolution No. 3379, equating Zionism with racism
On December 16, 1991, the UN General Assembly annulled the infamous Resolution No. 3379 of 1975, which defined Zionism as a form of racism and racial discrimination. Sixteen years later, by an overwhelming majority of votes (111 in favor, 25 against), the UN revised its position and recognized that Zionism is not a form of racism. Subsequently, in 1998, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called Resolution 3379 the “lowest point” in the relationship between Israel and the UN, noting that its negative consequences are hard to overestimate.
However, in recent years, anti-Israeli narratives have once again been voiced in official statements by UN representatives. This became especially noticeable after the events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took more than 250 people hostage. Despite these tragic facts and the fact that Hamas openly declares its goal to destroy Israel, the UN Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths stated on February 14, 2024, in an interview with the British TV channel Sky News: “We do not consider Hamas a terrorist group. It is a political movement.”
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, went even further: in her statements, she accused Israel of genocide and called for the exclusion of the Jewish state from the UN.
These events reflect the troubling cyclical nature of anti-Semitism, which takes on new forms while retaining its essence. As in the past, when false accusations and biased decisions contributed to the defamation of Jews, modern rhetoric continues to undermine efforts to ensure justice and security for Israel. History, unfortunately, repeats itself.
