Moynihan's Moment: America's Fight Against Zionism as Racism

386 Pages·2012·24.115 MB·English

by  Gil Troy

On Novemser 10, 1975, the General Assembly
of the United Nations passed Resolution 3379,
which declared Zionism a form of racism and
racial discrimination. After the vote, a lanky man
with tousled hair stood to speak. He pronounced
his words with the rounded tones ofa Harvard
academic, but his voice shook with outrage: “The
United States rises to declare, before the General
Assembly of the United Nations, and before the
world, that it does not acknowledge, it will not abide
by, it will never acquiesce in this infamous act.”
The speech made Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a celebrity.
It came at a low-water mark of American self-
confidence, as the country, mired in an economic
slump, struggled with the legacy of Watergate
and the humiliation of Vietnam. In Moynthan’s
Moment, Gil Troy demonstrates that it also
marked the beginnings ofa more confrontational
American foreign policy that turned away from
Henry Kissinger’s détente-driven approach to the
Soviet Union—which was behind Resolution 3379.
Moynihan recognized the resolution for what it
was: an attack on Israel and at otalitarian assault on
democracy itself, motivated by anti-Semitism and
anti-Americanism. While Washington distanced
itself from Moynihan and his “cowboy diplomacy,”
the public responded enthusiastically. Americans,
Jews and non-Jews alike, rallied in support of Israel;
civil rights leaders cheered. A year later Moynihan
won a U.S. Senate seat, which he kept for 24 years.
(continued on back flap)

Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2020 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation
https://archive.org/details/moynihansmomenta0000troy
MOYNIHAN‘S MOMENT

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GIL TROY
UNIVERSITY PRESS
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
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© Gil Troy 2013
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Troy, Gil.
Moynihan’s moment : America’s fight against Zionism as racism / Gil Troy.
p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-992030-3
1. United Nations—United States. 2. Moynihan, Daniel P. (Daniel Patrick), 1927-2003.
3. World politics—1975-1985. 4, Antisemitism—History—20th century.
5. United States—Foreign relations—20th century.
6. Zionism—Government policy—United States. I. Title.
JZA4997.5.U6T76 2012 320.54095694—dc23 2012013808
Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to quote lyrics from the following:
Bad Blood (Words and Music by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody). ©1974 (Renewed 2002). EMI Sosaha Music Inc., EMI
Jemaxal Music Inc., Songs of SJL-RSL Music Co. and SJL-RSL Songs Company. International Copyright Secured. All
Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Reprinted by permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
Won't Get Fooled Again (Words and Music by Peter Townshend). ©1971 Towser Tunes, Inc., Fabulous Music Ltd., and
ABKCO Music, Inc. Copyright Renewed. All Rights for Towser Tunes, Inc., Administered by Universal Music Publishing
International MGB Ltd. All Rights for Universal Music Publishing International MGB Ltd. in the U.S. Administered by
Universal Music—Careers. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Reprinted by
permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
3S) 7 ORS On4e2
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
To my parents, Bernard Dov and Elaine Gerson Troy,
children of Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s New York,
for repeatedly facing up to their most challenging
moments with a Moynihanesque grit, while teaching us
his enduring lesson, that “words matter.”
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