More than two years after the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, continues to stand up to anti-Israel bias at the United Nations.

“While it is abundantly clear that much work needs to be done regarding the overwhelming anti-Israel bias of the UN as a whole,” said Cheryl Sperber, Hadassah’s United Nations committee chair, “it is equally encouraging that in one-on-one meetings, major world leaders acknowledge the important role Israel plays as a dependable partner in the region as well as in the global community.” Sperber represented Hadassah at General Assembly meetings last September.

Though the United Nations has taken steps to advance peace between Israel and its neighbors, including the adoption of the United States-led peace plan for Gaza, it has failed to hold Hamas accountable for its sexual violence. In November, Reem Alsalem, special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, publicly denied Hamas’s sexual violence on October 7. Other recent developments at the international body include:

• 143 member nations last year supported unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, a move that undermines peace and sanctions Hamas’s crimes against humanity. In response, Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz authored an op-ed for the Jewish News Syndicate in which she warned that such legitimization “sends a message to Hamas and other terrorist groups worldwide that killing, kidnapping and raping innocent civilians will be rewarded in the long run.”

• During the 2025 General Assembly gathering in September, Hadassah leaders, in conjunction with other international Jewish
organizations, met with senior United Nations envoys, foreign ministers and ambassadors to push for accountability around conflict-related sexual violence.

• In November, Hadassah spearheaded a letter signed by 29 advocacy groups in observance of the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. The letter calls for a protocol to help guide countries responding to sexual violence; demands accountability for Hamas’s weaponization of sexual violence; and responds to the special rapporteur’s false claims.

•  As part of the United Nations-affiliated End Antisemitism and Promote Peace Committee, Hadassah continues to work with global interfaith partners to combat hate and anti-Zionist misinformation by tracking bias and developing guidance for United Nations agencies to combat it.

•  Hadassah plans to attend key events at the United Nations this year, including International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremonies, the Commission on the Status of Women meetings and the General Assembly.