Who Stands Accused?: Israel Answers Its Critics

by Chaim Herzog

One of his country's great orators and most eloquent spokesmen, Chiam Herzog, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, often finds himself a lone voice crying out against a hostile Arab-Soviet-led... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394501322
• ISBN13: 9780394501321
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 277 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Written in 1978 but still worth reading

The international community has been exposed to an onslaught of anti-Zionist propaganda from the United Nations for some time. In 1974, the UN invited an infamous terrorist, Arafat, to sermonize it. In 1975, the UN passed a resolution (revoked in 1992) that Zionism is a form or racism! Now I can understand the fact that sometimes nations get into fights. And we can't ensure that every nation that gets into a fight will always say nice things about its enemies. But in this case, the United Nations, which had a fair amount of its reputation riding on being at least a little reasonable, voted for this nonsense. And just as it damaged the Roman Senate when Caligula appointed a horse to it, this damaged the United Nations. Given the damage the UN's anti-Zionism has done to the international community, I think Herzog's book is very valuable. It shows just how arbitrary and perverse some of the anti-Israeli accusations have been. Herzog noted in his speech against the Zionism - Racism resolution that he was speaking exactly 37 years to the day after Kristallnacht, and that the German leader of 1938 would have felt at home in that forum. That speech is the first chapter of the book, and it is well worth reading. Herzog finished by pointing out that "this resolution based on hatred, falsehood, and arrogance is devoid of any moral or legal value." And he then tore up the draft text of the resolution. Herzog makes some more points in the book. He explains that Israel is in Jerusalem by right, and that Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, needs to be united in peace, with freedom for all religions, not divided, at war, and with restrictions against religions. He explains that the main essential for peace is for the Arab world to accept Israel's existence. And that Israel owes no explanation for the exercise of its rights. Herzog also states that Israel will not negotiate with terrorists who seek its destruction. Well, he turned out to be wrong. Israel tried it. But in Herzog's defence, it turned out to be a bad idea. The author also brings up the issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Here, he agrees with the statement that these settlements are an issue because the existence of Israel is an issue. As Herzog reminds us, the settlements are not illegal, they are not an obstacle to peace, and they are not established at the expense of expropriated Arab lands. There is a 1977 UN resolution about these settlements that disagrees, of course. And Herzog points out that according to it, he is forbidden to settle in the village of Masuoth Yitzchak, named for his own father. Why? For one reason. Because he is Jewish. That means that the UN has simply extended the Nuremberg Laws from National Socialist Germany. The author has exposed the racism of demanding that Jews be banned from and expelled from various regions. And he's also established that UN resolutions about Israel are often lies. Herzog makes another good point when