Wiesenthal Centre to OECD: “Withdraw Your Auspices from Women in Parliament Global Forum in Amman that Excluded Israeli Delegation.”

Paris, 4 May 2016

In a letter to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Secretary-General, Angel Gurria, the Simon WiesenthalCentre’s Director for International Relations, Dr.Shimon Samuels, expressed shock “on learning that the OECD had granted its auspices to the Women in Parliament (WIP) Global Forum thatopened today in the Jordanian National Assembly, on condition that all Israeli women M.P.’s or political leaders be excluded.”

The letter reported that the WIP website announces that more than 400 female Members of Parliament and Governments from around 80countries are participating, including Lithuanian President and Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders, Dalia Grybauskaite.

WIP’s prestigious Advisory Board includes former Foreign Ministers of Spain Ana Palacio and Austria Benita Ferrero-Waldner, currentUNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and Assistant Secretary-General to the United Nations Lakshmi Puri.” http://www.womeninparliaments.org/partners/

Samuels noted that “the Jordanian House of Representatives Speaker, Atef Tarawneh, made clear that banning the Israeli delegation was aprerequisite for hosting the Summit in Jordan". He addied “we will not permit any delegation who usurped our land, kills our children and breaks into our religious sites to enter the domeof Jordan’s Parliament" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkGOGlOKSd8

See also http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/hosting-int%E2%80%99l-parliament-forum-sign-jordan%E2%80%99s-distinguished-stature-%E2%80%94-tarawneh#sthash.75hMIk1U.dpuf

The Centre registered amazement that “these august women leaders accepted the exclusion of their Israeli peers with equanimity,”continuing, “Israel is a member of the OECD, and we urge you to stand by one of your member-states by publicly withdrawing your auspices from this Amman exercise in discrimination andbigotry.”

“OECD declares among its Core Values the pledge that its 'credibility is based on trust, integrity and transparency’. The good name ofthe OECD has no place in a tribune based upon blackmail,boycott and appeasement’, concluded Samuels.

For further information, please contact Shimon Samuels at 00 33 609 770 158.