Ireland has withdrawn its motion at the UN General Assembly condemning anti-Semitism after two weeks of intensive negotiations. Conor O'Clery, North America Editor, in New York reports.
The motion, co-sponsored by the EU, is understood to have failed because Arab and Muslim states insisted that it include amendments condemning intolerance against other religions and ethnic groups.
This would have defeated the purpose of obtaining the first-ever UN resolution specifically condemning anti-Semitism.
The resolution condemned "all manifestations of anti-Semitism wherever they occur", attacks on synagogues and other religious places, sites and shrines and all "intolerance, incitement, harassment or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief."
Ireland's decision was strongly criticised last night by the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Centre, which campaigns against anti-Semitism worldwide.
The resolution was a "cover-up" for refusing to introduce the words "anti-Semitism" into an annual UN resolution sponsored by Ireland condemning religious intolerance, the centre's director of international liaison, Dr Shimon Samuels, alleged.
"Unfortunately we do not know why Ireland has taken a denial position on anti-Semitism," he said. "The fact that Ireland is taking over the Presidency of the Europe Union reflects very badly on the policy on racism."
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr Silvan Shalom, had asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, to include a condemnation of anti-Semitism in the UN's annual resolution condemning worldwide religious intolerance, which has been sponsored by Ireland for 20 years and was passed by consensus last month.
The resolution, co-sponsored by the European Union and accession states, as well as Romania, Bulgaria, Norway and Iceland, was withdrawn late on Tuesday.
"We found it was unlikely the various priorities of interested states could be accommodated in the limited time available," a spokesman for the Irish mission said.
December 8th is the final date for tabling a resolution for a vote before the current General Assembly session ends on December 16th.
Opposition to a stand-alone resolution on anti-Semitism is said to have come from within the group of 77 non-aligned nations (G77), mainly from Africa and Asia.
"We were looking for an agreed outcome and consensus support for a resolution that would specifically address the phenomenon of anti-Semitism," the Irish mission spokesman said.
Israel's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr Arye Mekel, said he was saddened by the withdrawal of the Irish resolution.