UN Confronts Anti-Semitism

Over decades of debate at the UN about the Middle East, a strong anti-Israel sentiment expressed by many nations has often slipped into anti-Semitism. Now UN officials want to deal with the issue.

They're sponsoring a conference Monday to help expose and isolate this type of bigotry, perhaps bringing an end to the expression of anti-Semitism in future discussions about Israel and Zionism.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been more active than his predecessors in trying to confront this problem. Perhaps he can use this conference to persuade the General Assembly to pass a resolution condemning such racism. That would help curb the isolation that Israel has suffered at the UN over the years, mainly from Arab and Muslim states.

With an increasing number of reports of anti-Semitic acts in Europe, the UN's moral leadership is greatly welcome on this issue.