For those of us too young to know, and for those too old to remember, the charge that “Zionism is Racism” is not a recent phenomenon in this decade.
In 1975, Resolution 3379 charging that “Zionism is Racism” was brought by the United Nations. The resolution may have passed unchallenged, had it not been for the heroic action of one man who stood in opposition – Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the US Ambassador to the United Nations under President Gerald Ford.
Moynihan led an unsuccessful lobbying effort to defeat the resolution in committee. When Resolution 3379 was brought to the General Assembly for a final vote, Moynihan defiantly made his famous speech, now known as Moynihan’s Moment, the title of a new book by Gil Troy.
When the resolution passed the UN, only 27 years after the birth of Israel, it gave legitimacy to a shameful lie. Even though the UN repealed the resolution in 1991, the “big lie” continues to this day. In 1975, after Moynihan’s speech, it was cool to be Jewish on college campuses. Students wore “I Am a Zionist” buttons. Thirty-nine years later, it is no longer cool. Students wear “Zionism is Racism” buttons and support the BDS movement against Israel. What happened?
Moynihan’s Moment: America’s Fight Against Zionism as Racism is a must-read for all those who support Israel, and should be required reading on all college campuses
Resources:
http://moynihansmoment.com/ video of Gil Troy and a short clip of Moynihan’s speech.
Moynihan’s speech to the UN – a longer video clip of the speech on YouTube