Yemen: Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem?

September 1, 2006

Yemen: Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem?

New York

Mark Weitzman, the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Representative to the United Nations, met with the Abdullah Alsaidi, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the United Nations yesterday to discuss global terrorism and Yemen's role in the Middle East.

"During our meeting, Ambassador Alsaidi asserted that Yemen is a voice of moderation in the Middle East, counseling terrorist organizations Hamas and Hizbollah to stop their campaigns of suicide bombings and to accept an Arab Peace Plan based on a two-State solution," Mr. Weitzman said. "Unfortunately, the Ambassador also continued to effectively deny Israel its legitimate right to defend itself against terrorism, and actually excused the attacks of Hamas and Hezbollah as being reactions to the "Israeli occupation".

“On behalf of the Wiesenthal Center, I emphasized that moderate Arab nations who claim they are committed to peace in the Middle East, must themselves publicly condemn terrorism, and more importantly, clamp down on the recruiting of volunteers and money for terrorists that continue today in countries like Yemen," Mr. Weitzman said and concluded by inviting Ambassador Alsaidi and staff to visit the New York Tolerance Center, where they could experience the Wiesenthal Center's innovative interactive approach to the teaching tolerance and mutual respect.