December 13, 2023 — New York, NY
Group Asserts International Community Routinely
Ignores Human Rights Abuses Against Israelis and Jews
Marking the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, American Jewish Committee (AJC) was joined today by more than 70 leaders from around the world in calling on the international community to recognize that “universal means universal.” The group comprises former government officials, interreligious leaders, and human rights and democracy advocates, including journalist and women’s rights activist Masih Alenejad; former Governor Jeb Bush; Vice Chair of ISGAP and former CEO of AJC David Harris; former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard; former Chair of the Munich Security Conference and former German Ambassador to the United States Prof. Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Ischinger; World Chess Champion and Chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative Garry Kasparov; philosopher, filmmaker, and author Bernard-Henri Lévy, former U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman, former Prime Minister of France Manuel Valls; and former President of Germany Christian Wulff.
In a full-page advertisement in today’s Wall Street Journal, the leaders make clear that universality has not been applied in the wake of October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists slaughtered, sexually assaulted, and kidnapped innocent Israelis in Southern Israel, and in the face of skyrocketing antisemitism. The group summons national, multilateral, and non-governmental agencies to honor the principle of “a universality that calls for the unconditional return of all the hostages, denounces the horrific human rights violations committed by Hamas, and confronts acts of violence and escalating threats toward Jews worldwide.”
“As the world came to grips with the atrocities of the Holocaust, the United Nations came together 75 years ago to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, recognizing ‘the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family,’” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “Yet, despite this promise, too many in the international community continue to ignore the violation of these rights when the abused are Israelis and Jews. Universal human rights must mean universal.”
AJC advertisement as seen in today’s Wall Street Journal
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 offices across the United States, 14 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.
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