THE NEW YORK BOARD OF RABBIS UN STATEMENT

The New York Board of Rabbis

The New York Board of Rabbis strongly disapproves of the decision by the United States to abstain rather than veto UN Security Council Resolution 2334. A neutral stance in the face of such a one-sided international resolution is not how trusted allies should treat one another in the international spotlight. Friends may disagree on such core issues as settlements, but they must find an appropriate place to resolve their disputes.

Given the dereliction of moral responsibility of the UN in its total disregard of the slaughter in Syria; its discredited Goldstone report; and its UNESCO agency's denial of any Jewish connection to the holy sites of Jerusalem; the UN is certainly not the forum for any constructive international resolution, especially regarding the security of the State of Israel, and certainly about issues requiring the delicate cooperation of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the United States.

Jewish tradition teaches that the blessing of peace shared by all faiths must be proclaimed face to face, with outstretched hands and respect for one another. The dream of peace can only be fulfilled when Israelis and Palestinians sit together at a peace table to find a lasting peace with one another.

Rabbi Gideon Shloush,

President

Rabbi Lester B. Bronstein,

Vice President

Rabbi Joseph Potasnik,

Executive Vice President

Dr. Eve Epstein,

NYBR Liaison to the United Nations