In the last few days, George Bush has taken two steps towards the UN which signify the policies which he will adopt to guide America's dealings with the mandarins occupying prime Manhattan real estate. The United Nations Human Rights Commission has been an outpost for Sudan, Libya and other worthies to routinely attack America and Israel, while denying UN purview of their own dictatorships and acts of genocide in Darfur.

George Bush announced that he intends to appoint former Senator Rudy Boschwitz of Minnesota to serve as America's Ambassador to this none—too—august body (hat tip: Powerline). Senator Boschwitz is a Jewish Republican who was instrumental in assisting the rescue of Ethiopian Jews from the depredations in that country and shepherding them to Israel (oddly enough with he purchased connivance of Sudanese authorities under a former regime). Hopefully his experience during that period will be of benefit in rescuing the Sudanese Christians and black Muslims from continued attacks from Sudanese militias. The fact that he is Jewish is a bold statement by Bush that serves as a challenge to the United Nations to uphold its stated standards that forbid discrimination. Since the UN Human Rights Commission has routinely attacked Israel this is certainly a significant message to the UN that such discrimination will no longer be countenanced.

Annan's good friend and adviser Lakhdar Brahimi has said he is proud "never to have shaken the hand of  a Jew". How will he respond to Boschwitz? This appointment is a rebuke to the anti—Semitism at the UN. Bush is a great friend of the Jewish people.

The second step is today's announcement that Bush is proposing that Under—Secretary of State John Bolton assume the spot as America's Ambassador to the United Nations. Bolton has taken a harsh line towards efforts by dictatorships and terror—supporting states to develop WMD. In particular, he believes that the UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency have been feckless in dealing with the developing threat that Iran will develop nuclear weapons. Bolton, if confirmed, will bring his clear—headed, realistic thinking and his dedication to high ideals to a body which sorely needs these attributes.

Ed Lasky   3 7 05