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Rectifying UN Wrongs
(Jerusalem Post) U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - * The House of Representatives this summer twice adopted the United Nations Reform Act of 2005, that seeks to end discrimination against Israel in the UN system and ensure greater fairness and objectivity in the UN's handling of Israeli-Palestinian issues by: o Expanding one of the UN's regional groups (Western Europe and Others Group) to afford Israel permanent membership in this group with full rights and privileges, such as a place in the seat rotation of the Security Council. o Mandating a State Department review of the work performed by the various UN commissions, committees, and offices focusing exclusively on the Palestinian agenda, followed by the submission of a report recommending areas for reform, including proposals for the elimination of duplicative entities and efforts. o Withholding proportional U.S. contributions to the UN until these recommendations are implemented. * In addition, the legislation calls for the UN Secretary-General to establish a series of requirements to combat anti-Semitism in all UN entities and specialized agencies, and to establish mechanisms to hold UN officials accountable for anti-Semitic statements and actions. The writer, a Member of Congress (R-FL), chairs the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia of the House Committee on International Relations.