Ambassador Daniel Patrick Moynihan, esteemed academic and politician, was tasked with the daunting challenge of representing the United States and its values in the halls of the United Nations. Moynihan’s condemnation of UN Resolution 3379, which declared Zionism to be a form of racism, was a display of public leadership and moral courage. The speech is thought to be a key moment in his political career, launching him into a US Senate seat a year later. Ambassador Moynihan’s boldness reverberated beyond the UN and into the court of public opinion. In this seminar, we will explore the factors that led to the promulgation of UN Resolution 3379, and the conviction of Moynihan’s statement, which remains relevant today as Israel continues to navigate the political minefield of both the United Nations and the world’s perception of the only Jewish State.
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