More than a dozen Jewish House Democrats criticized the United Nations in a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over the exclusion of Israeli and Jewish victims, including the casualties of the Oct. 7 attack, from a recent exhibit honoring victims of terrorism globally.
The U.N. commemorated the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to Victims of Terrorism, which is honored on Aug. 21, with a “Memories” exhibit dedicated to the victims of terrorism. It did not include any Israeli victims, including those killed or wounded in the Oct. 7 attack.
“This clear and conspicuous omission of Israeli victims of terrorist attacks, including the horrific Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack, is an insult to these innocent victims and seriously undermines the UN’s credibility on terrorism and human rights,” the lawmakers said in a letter to Guterres.
The lawmakers “respectfully demand[ed] an immediate explanation for this mission of Israeli and Jewish victims from the UN/s exhibition for victims of terrorism, and absent a legitimate justification a clear and unequivocal apology.”
Roughly 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 attack, and about 250 others were kidnapped and brought back to Gaza. More than 100 hostages continue to be held there.
Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC) led the letter, which was co-signed by Reps. Lois Frankel (D-FL), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Susan Wild (D-PA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Dean Phillips (D-MN), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), and Steve Cohen (D-TN).
The exhibit was on display in the visitor’s lobby of the U.N. Secretariat Building and featured “life-sized images of victims and survivors of terrorism and showcases how objects meaningful to the victims have strengthened their resiliency and supported their recovery,” according to Mauro Miedico, the director of the U.N. Counter-Terrorism Center.
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Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan was critical of the U.N.’s omission last week.
“Soon, it will be a year since October 7th, the most horrific terror attack since the Holocaust. Yet, the disgraceful UN did not see fit to include even a single Israeli terror victim(!) in the exhibition it is presenting for this day of remembrance,” he said. “There are NO WORDS LEFT to describe how morally corrupt and twisted the UN is. It’s simply a disgrace.”
