New York, NY, October 15, 2003 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today commended the United States for its veto of a one-sided United Nations Security Council resolution on Israel's security barrier, calling the resolution an attempt by the Palestinians to obfuscate Israel's need to defend its population from Palestinian terrorism.

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

This resolution was a blatant attempt to blame Israel for a situation not of its making.  Indeed, this barrier is being built by Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorism, and by the failure of the Palestinian Authority to stop it.  After three years of unceasing violence and terrorism, the Israeli public is clamoring for the added protection this barrier will provide. 

The fence around the Gaza Strip that has been in place since the beginning of the intifada has prevented almost all suicide bombers from reaching Israel through the Gaza Strip border while 250 suicide bombers have entered Israel from the West Bank during this time.

Rather than debating the alleged wrongs of the fence, the Security Council should be recognizing the conditions which led to the Israeli public demand for this protective barrier.

We express our great appreciation to President George W. Bush and Ambassador to the United Nations, John Negroponte, for vetoing this one-sided resolution.