The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is praising two New York facilities for canceling events where Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was scheduled to appear this week.
"Under the UN headquarters agreement, the United States is obligated to let President Ahmadinejad come to the U.S., but there is no reason that he should be given any additional accommodation," said Alan Solow, Conference chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Confernce, in a statement praising the Helmsley Hotel and Gotham Hall. "More than 80 percent of the American people see Iran as a threat to the security of the US, let alone Ahmadinejad’s calls to wipe Israel off the map and his blatant Holocaust denial. This is not a question of free speech. It is, rather, upholding the values and principles on which our country was founded and has advocated throughout its existence.
The conference also passed along a clarification of a decision by TIAA-CREF to sell its shares in Africa-Israel Investments Ltd., which some media reports had suggested was a political decision but the retirement firm said was based solely on economic reasons.
"TIAA-CREF continues to have investments in companies in Israel and around the world and sold this particular stock as a routine part of their indexing investing process," said Solow and Hoenlein. "The particular company fell out of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and, therefore, no longer fits the criteria for investment."
The Conference’s full statement is after the jump:[[READMORE]]
Alan Solow, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chair, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, lauded the Helmsley Hotel and Gotham Hall, both in New York City, for their actions cancelling appearances by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
“We believe this is an important moral declaration that the leading violator of human rights, the leading executioner of women and children, the repeat violator of UN Security Council resolutions calling for an end to his nuclear weapons drive, and the brutal oppressor of those who oppose his dictatorial regime, be denied hospitality in New York. Under the UN headquarters agreement, the United States is obligated to let President Ahmadinejad come to the US, but there is no reason that he should be given any additional accommodation. More than 80 percent of the American people see Iran as a threat to the security of the US, let alone Ahmadinejad’s calls to wipe Israel off the map and his blatant Holocaust denial. This is not a question of free speech. It is, rather, upholding the values and principles on which our country was founded and has advocated throughout its existence. We hope that the Essex House and any other hotel that is approached will follow the example set by the Helmsley Hotel and Gotham Hall,” said Solow and Hoenlein. The leaders also acknowledged the lead role played by United Against a Nuclear Iran in advocating the cancellation.
TIAA-CREF STATEMENT
Solow and Hoenlein also welcomed the clarification issued by TIAA-CREF regarding the sale of a small number of shares in Africa-Israel Investments Ltd. “While there were groups that sought to exploit the decision and portray it as an anti-Israel decision, in fact that was not the case. TIAA-CREF continues to have investments in companies in Israel and around the world and sold this particular stock as a routine part of their indexing investing process. The particular company fell out of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and, therefore, no longer fits the criteria for investment. It is regrettable that groups seeking to harm Israel would again engage in such blatant misrepresentation and distortion of the action taken by TIAA-CREF,” said Solow and Hoenlein.
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