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Glaring omission

Jewish House Democrats blast U.N. for ignoring Israeli terrorism victims

‘This clear and conspicuous omission of Israeli victims of terrorist attacks … is an insult to these innocent victims and seriously undermines the UN’s credibility on terrorism and human rights,’ lawmakers said

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Flags fly outside the General Secretariat Building at the United Nations Headquarters.

A group of Jewish House Democrats blasted the United Nations for excluding Israeli and Jewish victims of terrorism, including the victims of the Oct. 7 attack, from a recent U.N. headquarters exhibit honoring victims of terrorism.

“This clear and conspicuous omission of Israeli victims of terrorist attacks, including the horrific Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, is an insult to these innocent victims and seriously undermines the UN’s credibility on terrorism and human rights,” the lawmakers said in a letter to Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday.

The letter, led by Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC), is the latest instance of lawmakers raising concerns about the response to the Oct. 7 attack by the U.N., which they’ve said has repeatedly ignored or downplayed the attack.

The letter refers to an Aug. 21 exhibit in the U.N. headquarters lobby that honored victims of terrorism worldwide. It did not include any Israeli victims of terrorist attacks, past or present.

The lawmakers said the “blatant omission” was “unacceptable” and “undermines the credibility and neutrality of the UN and its work to support victims of terrorism.”

They asked Guterres for an “immediate explanation” of why Israeli and Jewish terror victims were not included “and absent a legitimate justification, a clear and unequivocal apology.”

They also asked Guterres to explain how the U.N. would ensure that Oct. 7 victims are properly honored going forward, including during the U.N. General Assembly next month and a U.N. conference on victims of terror in October.

The letter was co-signed by Reps. Lois Frankel (D-FL), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Susan Wild (D-PA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Dean Phillips (D-MN), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Steve Cohen (D-TN).

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