The historic new UN resolution is reason for hope

It took 16 years for the U.N. General Assembly to revoke the shameful “Zionism is racism” resolution, and today, the United Nations remains a hostile environment for Israel.

In a moment of diplomatic drama for the ages, the United Nations adopted Resolution 181 on Nov. 29, 1947. Across the Jewish world, the news that the U.N. had endorsed the creation of a Jewish state in the land of Israel was met with joy, relief and an overwhelming sense of hope. Our people were now closer than ever to realizing an eternal dream: to return home to the land of Israel, restore Jewish sovereignty and rejoin the family of nations in peace.

Members of my own family were at the heart of these events. Abba Eban, my uncle, was a leading figure in the Jewish Agency delegation in New York that fought to secure every vote in favor of the resolution. This success was a precursor to a stellar diplomatic career that saw him become a legendary foreign minister and leading spokesperson for Israel.

Back in Jerusalem, my grandfather, Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, was then serving as chief rabbi of the land of Israel. As crowds thronged into his home to celebrate the result of the U.N. vote, my grandfather gave voice to the hope felt by millions of Jews in a special radio broadcast. “After the years of bitter exile, which have lasted 2,000 years,” he declared, “the dawn of Israel’s redemption is beginning to rise. Let all the House of Israel unite, with steadfast hope and eternal faith in the Rock of Israel and its Redeemer.”

U.N. endorsement of a Jewish state, however, was not enough to bring the state of Israel into existence. That was achieved by the valiance, creativity and sacrifice of thousands of men and women who fought to establish and defend the nascent Jewish and democratic state.

Sadly, independence did not herald an end to the existential threats to our nation. In the decades since, Israel has been forced repeatedly to defend itself from those who seek our destruction. Rather than recognition of our legitimate self-defense and continual pursuit of peace, Israel instead has faced relentless condemnation at the very institution, the United Nations, that endorsed the right to Jewish self-determination back in 1947.

The low point came in 1975. In a moment of infamy, the U.N. General Assembly endorsed a resolution equating Zionism with racism. My father, Chaim Herzog, then Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., responded on the floor of the General Assembly: “Zionism is nothing more — and nothing less — than the Jewish people’s sense of origin and destination in the land linked eternally with its name.” In an iconic moment, emblematic of my father’s lifelong stand against antisemitism, he tore up his copy of that shameful resolution in front of the watching world. These values, combined with his deep Irish roots, earned him a lasting tribute: a Dublin park bearing his name — one that some now disgracefully seek to erase.

It took 16 years for the U.N. General Assembly to revoke the shameful “Zionism is racism” resolution, and today, the United Nations remains a hostile environment for Israel. Rather than fulfilling its purpose and fighting courageously against a global epidemic of jihadist, murderous and abhorrent terror, time and again, the United Nations has exhibited moral bankruptcy. International forums and institutions have consistently opted for outrageous hypocrisy and protection of the perpetrators of atrocities, rather than the victims they are meant to protect.

However, there is a glimmer of hope at the United Nations.

Last week, the U.N. Security Council voted to adopt President Donald Trump’s Peace Plan to end the war in Gaza. This historic achievement was made possible by the masterful diplomacy of President Trump and his administration. Resolution 2803 paves the way for an opportunity for a real “day after”: a Gaza demilitarized, deradicalized and free from Hamas.

There remains huge work to be done in implementing this plan on the ground. The Hamas terrorist organization is still active in Gaza. It still holds the remains of two deceased hostages, Ran Gvili and Sudthisak Rinthalak, in blatant violation of the agreement. Hamas has also used the ceasefire to embark on a series of violent executions of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, further evidence of the terror group’s violent brutality.

However, after two years of a war which began with Hamas’ brutal attack on Oct. 7, 2023 — a war in which our finest sons and daughters have fallen in defense of our homeland — U.N. Security Council Resolution 2803 provides hope and opportunity that we must seize. This resolution paves the way to broaden the circle of peace in the Middle East and build a future of stability, cooperation and integration to the benefit of us all.

Like the Zionist leaders on Nov. 29, 1947, who embraced hope while remaining clear-eyed about the challenges ahead, we too must approach this historic moment with cautious optimism for a more secure and peaceful future for our region. PJC

Isaac Herzog is the 11th president of the state of Israel.