UN General Assembly Declares Zionism Form of Racism in Controversial Vote
Resolution 3379 passes 72-35, equating Zionism with racism and marking low point in Israel's international standing.
UNITED NATIONS - The UN General Assembly today passed Resolution 3379 declaring that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination,” a vote that Israel’s ambassador called an “infamous act” while Palestinians hailed it as recognizing their struggle against colonialism.
The resolution passed 72-35 with 32 abstentions, with support from Arab, Soviet bloc, and most African and Asian nations. The United States, Western Europe, and some Latin American countries opposed it.
“This is a day of infamy,” declared Israeli Ambassador Chaim Herzog, dramatically tearing up the resolution text at the podium. “For us, the Jewish people, this is no more than a piece of paper, and we shall treat it as such.”
The resolution links Zionism to South African apartheid and colonialism, stating that it “is a threat to world peace and security.” It builds on the previous year’s recognition of the PLO and growing Third World solidarity with Palestinian claims.
PLO representative Zuhdi Terzi celebrated the vote: “The international community has recognized the racist nature of the ideology that dispossessed our people. This strengthens our just struggle for liberation.”
US Ambassador Daniel Patrick Moynihan delivered a fierce denunciation: “The United States rises to declare before the General Assembly and before the world that it does not acknowledge, it will not abide by, it will never acquiesce in this infamous act.”
The vote occurs on the 37th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Nazi pogrom against German Jews, a timing Herzog called “symbolic” of the resolution’s antisemitic nature.
Arab delegates argued the resolution addresses political Zionism’s discriminatory practices, not Judaism. “We distinguish between Judaism as a religion we respect and Zionism as a political movement that colonized Palestine,” stated the Saudi representative.
The resolution deepens Israel’s diplomatic isolation, coming after the PLO’s recognition and widespread support for Palestinian self-determination. It reflects shifting UN dynamics as Third World nations, many emerging from colonialism, identify with Palestinian narratives.
While legally non-binding, the resolution’s symbolic impact is profound, equating Israel’s founding ideology with history’s most condemned form of discrimination. It promises to embitter Israel-UN relations and complicate peace efforts for years to come.