New York, NY, July 14, 2006 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today decried the United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli operations in Gaza and called it "shameful" and "removed from the reality on the ground."

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement

The Security Council resolution condemning Israel for its operations in Gaza is shameful and completely ignores the reality that a terrorist war is being waged against Israel.  The clear focus of the resolution is Israel, which is outrageously referred to throughout as "the occupying power," ignoring the fact that Israel withdrew from Gaza last year and was now reacting to unprovoked attacks on its soil by Palestinian terrorists.

The resolution cynically refers only to the dangers to the Palestinian public and disregards the devastating effects of the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit and ongoing rocket attacks on Israeli population centers. It pays lip service to the release of the kidnapped soldier and makes only a perfunctory call on the Palestinian Authority to end the launching of rockets at Israel.

Incredibly, the resolution is removed from the reality on the ground, in light of Hezbollah's seizure of two Israeli servicemen from sovereign Israeli territory and its rocket barrages against northern Israeli cities. Israel has every right to respond to the unprovoked terrorist war being waged against it.

We greatly appreciate the United States for exercising its veto against this deeply flawed resolution, and for taking a principled stand in defense of Israel's right to respond to escalating acts of aggression against its territory.