NEWS
House Foreign Affairs Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Republican
CONTACT:    Brad Goehner, (202) 226-8467, September 16, 2009
Alex Cruz, (202) 225-8200
                        http://foreignaffairs.republicans.house.gov http://foreignaffairs.republicans.house.gov
 
For IMMEDIATE Release
Ros-Lehtinen Comments on New Anti-Israel UN Report
as General Assembly Begins New Session Under Libyan Presidency
Urges Congress to Pass UN Reform Bill, Not Provide More Funds for UN Agencies
 
(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, commented today on the recent release of a report, authorized by the United Nations Human Rights Council, that accused Israel of “war crimes, as well as possibly crimes against humanity” during Israel’s defensive operations in Gaza this past winter.  Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:
 
“It would appear the UN is continuing its relentless anti-Israel bias, accusing the Jewish state of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
 
“Given that this report’s mandate came from the despot-controlled Human Rights Council, we should not be surprised.
 
“Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly kicks off another year of anti-U.S., anti-Israel, and anti-freedom activism – transferring its gavel from a defrocked Sandinista to a Qaddafi shill.  
 
“Congress must demand better by enacting pending legislation that would leverage our contributions to the UN to produce sweeping, meaningful reform of that body.”
 
Note: The report was released as the United Nations General Assembly began its 64th session under the presidency of Ali Abdessalam Treki, the former foreign minister of Libya.  
 
Ros-Lehtinen is the author of the United Nations Transparency, Accountability and Reform Act (H.R. 557), which conditions U.S. funding to the UN on the implementation of concrete, sweeping reforms to root out ongoing fraud, corruption, and abuse throughout the UN system.  This bill also seeks to combat anti-Israel, anti-Semitic bias within the UN.  This bill enjoys the support of almost 100 cosponsors.