MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentine Jewish community criticize UN chair hopeful Malcorra on a Unesco vote
The letter sent by DAIA warns that the Unesco resolution implies “a serious false step”, although acknowledging the change of attitude of the Macri government 
“Even if Macri is not Kirchner and the president's sympathy towards Israel is manifest, this does not mean a sudden change of Argentine policy towards Israel” 
DAIA sees an interest from minister Malcorra in gathering support from the Arab world for her candidacy to the UN Secretary general post 
Ariel Cohen Sabban and Santiago Kaplun point out it is “incomprehensible” that Argentina supported the Unesco document under the title of “Occupied Palestine” Argentina's Jewish community sent a strong letter to foreign minister Susana Malcorra rejecting and condemning the administration of president Mauricio Macri for having supported a controversial Unesco resolution under the heading of “Occupied Palestine”.
This could be one of the first hurdles Ms Malcorra faces in her double role as minister and candidate to the UN Secretary General post.
The letter sent by DAIA, Delegation of Israeli-Argentine Associations, warns that the Unesco resolution implies “a serious false step”, although acknowledging the change of attitude of the Macri government towards Israel, and the closer political links since 10 December, following the distancing existent under the previous administration of Cristina Fernandez.
“Even if Macri is not Kirchner and the president's sympathy towards Israel is manifest, this does not mean a sudden change of Argentine policy towards Israel”, according to DAIA sources. However they see an interest, from the minister in gathering support from the Arab world for her candidacy to the UN Secretary general post
The letter signed by DAIA president Ariel Cohen Sabban and chairman Santiago Kaplun points out it is “incomprehensible” that the government which has given standing evidence of deep support for all religious expressions and particularly “our millenarian traditions supports a document which pretends to deny the historic and insoluble links of the Jewish people with the sacred places to which refers the resolution”.
For DAIA it is regretful that UNESCO, a global multilateral organization which has the mission of preserving the cultural inheritance of humanity, with all its diversity, has sponsored a statement which distorts history and offends the beliefs and traditions of a whole people, and at the same time unfairly calls Israel an 'occupying power“.
The state of Israel is a nation which maintains a historic link with a territory and its sacred places since thousands of years, which is beyond differences emerging from isolated problems and which can find specific solutions.
”We express our belief that the decision adopted by our (Argentine) foreign ministry is a regrettable mistake which hinders feelings and deep values, and which does not constitute more than an isolated circumstantial episode which does not represent the foreign policy of our country“, says the letter.
However this is not the first conflicting situation. In effect Malcorra's position in the Venezuelan political and human rights situation dispute, also forced the Macri administration to move positions and deny any policy changes.
While the Organization of American States is seriously considering implementing the Democratic Clause on Venezuela, in line with president Macri's original statements condemning the human rights conditions, under Malcorra the attitude has been more contemplative, which led opposition leader and speaker of the Venezuelan Assembly Henry Ramos Allup to state ”Argentina has disappointed us”.
However analysts recalled that in the event of a vote at the Security Council on the candidates who want to succeed Ban Ki-moon, Venezuela currently is a non permanent member of that body.
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Read all commentsArgieland really knows how to screw up. Macri could have used his inaugural speech to revoke argieland's illegitimate claim to the Falklands. If that was too much for him in the early days, he could have just said nothing. But he's confirmed the ridiculous “claim” and has even gone further by telling his population to treat Islanders as argies.
Jun 17th, 2016 - 08:29 am 0And now he makes another error. The State of Israel is the proper successor to the ancient kingdoms of Judah and Israel. UNESCO and argieland has made the mistake of using language that pays no attention to rights under international law, that it was Israel that was attacked and, if any territory is being “occupied”, it is Israeli territory being occupied by islamic, jihadi, arab terrorists.
I wonder about the last paragraph. Temporary, non-permanent members of the Security Council don't have any vote.
@1 Conqueror
Jun 17th, 2016 - 02:49 pm 0It's not that non-permanent members of the UNSC don't have a vote, what they don't have is the ability to Veto.
And should it look like the malevolent Malcorra...who by virtue of the fact that she has already misrepresented what the UN has said is totally unsuitable for the role as Secretary General...then the important countries who do have the Veto can stop it. And there is nothing they can do about it.
As for the article above. Whilst I believe that Israel has the right to exist, the way they treat the Palestinians isn't good at all, and they aren't allowed (under international law) to build houses or communities in the occupied territories. By doing so they only make a rod for their own back and lose the moral high ground.
The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council. The Secretary-General's selection is therefore subject to the veto of any of the five permanent members of the Security Council.
Jun 17th, 2016 - 03:21 pm 0The Argentine candidate has automatically disqualified herself because she obviously does not believe in self-determination as enshrined in the Charter of the UN. A prequisite for the post is upholding the Charter.
Additionally I believe that Russia will insist on a candidate from the Eastern block (there are several) and if they follow the rotational system, which is not obligatory, then it is certainly the turn of the Eastern block.
Another strong contender is the female candidate from New Zealand, former PM and presently head of one of the UN sister agencies. I think Ms Malcorra has some stiff competition apart from the possible Veto from the UK and Russia.
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