UNICEF Rejects Jewish Money
"UNICEF ..will no longer accept donations from ...Lev Leviev...because ..of financing construction of West Bank settlements......UNICEF has a policy of only accepting funds from 'non-confrontational' partners."
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) website
The United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF), although begging for contributions for many years, apparently can afford to be choosy now about whose money it will accept. So much for the urgency of alleviating poverty and disease among children from poor nations; political considerations trump their needs.
Even worse, UNICEF is not even consistent in enforcing the policy against "confrontational" partners: the agency does accept money from the International Islamic Relief Organization, which was designated as a terrorist organization by the US Treasury Department in 2006 because of its links to Al Qaeda. In the view of UN officials, perhaps crashing planes into office buildings is not particularly confrontational, but building housing for Jews in the West Bank is.
Since I support Jewish settlement in the West Bank, UNICEF probably does not want my money either. Fine! Based on the number of telemarketing calls and fund-raising letters I get every day, there is no shortage of worthy causes that will accept my money gladly, and they would likely accept Mr Leviev's too.
ADL urged UNICEF to reconsider its rejection of the Leviev donation, but I disagree. I say let Mr Leviev contribute his funds to Israeli and other Jewish causes that have no problem with his support of West Bank settlements, and let the UN pressure the Arabs to give enough to make up for the loss. There are worse ways the Arabs could spend their extra money!
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) website
The United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF), although begging for contributions for many years, apparently can afford to be choosy now about whose money it will accept. So much for the urgency of alleviating poverty and disease among children from poor nations; political considerations trump their needs.
Even worse, UNICEF is not even consistent in enforcing the policy against "confrontational" partners: the agency does accept money from the International Islamic Relief Organization, which was designated as a terrorist organization by the US Treasury Department in 2006 because of its links to Al Qaeda. In the view of UN officials, perhaps crashing planes into office buildings is not particularly confrontational, but building housing for Jews in the West Bank is.
Since I support Jewish settlement in the West Bank, UNICEF probably does not want my money either. Fine! Based on the number of telemarketing calls and fund-raising letters I get every day, there is no shortage of worthy causes that will accept my money gladly, and they would likely accept Mr Leviev's too.
ADL urged UNICEF to reconsider its rejection of the Leviev donation, but I disagree. I say let Mr Leviev contribute his funds to Israeli and other Jewish causes that have no problem with his support of West Bank settlements, and let the UN pressure the Arabs to give enough to make up for the loss. There are worse ways the Arabs could spend their extra money!
posted by Gerald S Glazer at 11:11 AM
1 comments
