New York, NY, November 23, 2004 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed the United Nations Third Committee passage of a resolution on the "Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance," which included anti-Semitism, and hopes that "this step leads to further action by the United Nations in the fight against anti-Semitism." The resolution, "Recognizes with deep concern the overall rise in instances of intolerance and violence directed against members of many religious communities in various parts of the world, including cases motivated by Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and Christianophobia."
 
Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement: 
           
We welcome the passage of the United Nations Third Committee resolution's specific inclusion of anti-Semitism as a form of religious intolerance, and hope this step leads to further action by the U.N. in the fight against anti-Semitism. 

We are troubled, however, that the inclusion of anti-Semitism was not guaranteed and that the 60-member Organization of the Islamic Conference attempted to omit or water down the reference. This attempted action by the OIC follows years of efforts within the U.N. system to downplay the danger of anti-Semitism, and the over 15 years that the infamous "Zionism is Racism" resolution remained on the books of the international institution. 
 
We hope that in the months ahead we will see more action on the subject of anti-Semitism by U.N. bodies, including a stand-alone resolution in the General Assembly condemning anti-Semitism. 

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.