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 “The Ecuadorian Representative either carries a prejudice against Jewish self-determination and sovereignty – the definition of Zionism – or suffers from an inadequate education in history”

Panamá City, 1 December 2016

Attending the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO) General Assembly as the only accredited international Jewish organization, the Simon Wiesenthal Center´s Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels and Latin American Representative, Dr. Ariel Gelblung protested to Ecuador President, Rafael Correa, in outrage at the Nazi/Jewish amalgam delivered by his representative to the UN General Assembly.

Samuels suggested that Mr. Sevilla “either carries a prejudice against Jewish self-determination and sovereignty - which is the definition of Zionism - or suffers from an inadequate education in history:

- First, there has never been a state of Palestine. Had the Arabs of the British Mandate, in 1947. accepted the United Nation´s partition resolution, they would be approaching their 69th anniversary alongside the State of Israel, the 3,500 year homeland of the Jewish people

- Second, the Representative´s figure of “5.3 million Palestinian refugees who were forced to flee the own country” is a delusion.  British documents and other records show that 560.000 Arabs were ordered by their own leaders to vacate their homes to clear the way for the invading Arab armies. They were expecting to return after the annihilation of the Jewish population.

- 860.000 Jews were subsequently expelled from Arab countries where they had resided for 2000 years. Indeed, there had been an exchange of populations, as in the conflict between Greece and Turkey or India and Pakistan. In all other examples, refugees were integrated into their host countries. Only the Palestinians were left as refugees by their fellow Arab hosts in order to perpetuate the conflict with Israel. “

Gelblung added that “Sevilla´s claim that the Palestinian situation is the result of UN paralysis is nonsense in the face of UN multiple agencies devoted entirely and uniquely to the Palestinian cause, financed by the largesse of most western member states.”… He stressed that “To quote from a 1979 speech of the late Fidel Castro, replete with – what is commonly acknowledged as antisemitism by association - is scandalous”. Castro had stated at a Non -Aligned Conference: “We repudiate with all our strength the persecution and genocide under Nazism against the Jewish people. But we cannot recall a more similar case in contemporary history than the eviction, persecution and genocide today undertaken by imperialism and Zionism against the Palestinian people”.

“For all the above examples of egregious revisionism, Mr Sevilla should be expelled from diplomatic service and we urge you, Mr. President, to apologize publicly for Ecuador´s libel against the Jewish people”, concluded the Center´s officials.