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White House reaffirms Robinson honor

E-mail|Link|Comments () Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor August 4, 2009 03:26 PM

The White House this afternoon stood by its decision to give the nation's highest civilian honor to former Irish President Mary Robinson, who has been criticized by some Jewish groups for her stands on Israel.

She was one of 16 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, including Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, announced last week by President Obama.

Her citation said, "Mary Robinson was the first female President of Ireland (1990 – 1997) and a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997 – 2002), a post that required her to end her presidency four months early. Robinson served as a prominent member of the Irish Senate prior to her election as President. She continues to bring attention to international issues as Honorary President of Oxfam International, and Chairs the Board of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI Alliance). Since 2002 she has been President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, based in New York, which is an organization she founded to make human rights the compass which charts a course for globalization that is fair, just and benefits all."

But the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee expressed concern.

"Mary Robinson, who was one of the people responsible for the 2001 Durban conference against racism descending into an anti-Israel propaganda forum, is not an appropriate recipient for one of our nation's highest honors. In fact, awarding the Medal of Freedom to Mary Robinson does great dishonor to the many outstanding men and women who have received it in the past," Republican Jewish Coalition said in a statement today.

Asked about the controversy, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters this afternoon, "Well, look, Mary Robinson was the first female president of Ireland, and she is somebody whom we are honoring as a prominent crusader of women's rights in Ireland and throughout the world. There are statements that obviously that she has made that the president doesn't agree with, and that's probably true for a number of the people that the president is recognizing for their lifetime contributions."

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