April 23, 1999/7 Iyar 5759, Vol. 51, No. 30
Letters to the Editor4/23/1999
Proud to call writer a friend
Editor:Rob Friedlander's feature article (Jewish News, April 9) was so very beautiful and moving. It made me both cry and smile. I cried for all of our people who died in the Holocaust, and I smiled for my friend Rob who was so fortunate to have made such a memorable and moving journey. Rob and I volunteer together for several Jewish young adult organizations. It is a pleasure to work with him, and I'm proud to call him a friend. Nancy Fishman Scottsdale Pay U.N. debt now
Editor:News reports suggest that the United States risks losing its U.N. General Assembly vote because of failure to pay U.N. arrears. Potentially losing the right to vote in the General Assembly is indeed a serious matter, but the United States is already suffering a heavy price in terms of prestige and political clout at the world body due to a shameful debtor status. The situation was glaringly evident during a recent American Jewish Committee visit to the U.N. complex in Geneva, the center of a broad range of international agencies involved in economic, social and humanitarian work. Clearly there, as in New York, the U.S. capacity to influence other member states, even some of its closest European allies, is diminishing as a direct result of the failure to pay U.N. dues. As an organization whose founders were deeply involved in the U.N.'s creation, we are concerned about the current state of affairs. Whatever one may think of the U.N. - and there is plenty of room for criticism - it remains an indispensable body for fostering global cooperation, advancing conflict resolution and peacekeeping, and addressing the needs of the world's least developed nations. American engagement with the U.N. promotes the U.S. national interest. We should pay our debt in full now. Rabbi Robert L. Kravitz AJC area director Phoenix |
