WORSE THAN MORAL EQUIVALENCE: Assuming Kofi Annan is correctly quoted in today's New York Times, his words provide more proof as to why the U.N. cannot be taken seriously on matters relating to Israel - in fact, why it must be actively opposed.
According to James Bennet, Annan said:

To the Israelis I say: you have the right to live in peace and security within secure internationally recognized borders. But you must end the illegal occupation," he said. "More urgently, you must stop the bombing of civilian areas, the assassinations, the unnecessary use of lethal force, the demolitions and the daily humiliation of ordinary Palestinians."

He continued: "To the Palestinians I say: you have the inalienable right to a viable state within secure internationally recognized borders. But you must stop all acts of terror and all suicide bombings. It is doing immense harm to your cause, by weakening international support and making Israelis believe that it is their existence as a state, and not the occupation, that is being opposed."
First, only the Palestinians' rights to a state "within secure internationally recognized borders" is deemed "inalienable." Maybe that's just a quibble, but look at the nature of the criticisms: the Palestinians' terrorism is criticized on prudential grounds, as "doing immense harm to your cause." By contrast, the unqualified detailing of every action taken by Israel is criticized for its own sake. Apparently, only the Israelis' actions are wrong in and of themselves. This is worse than moral equivalence; it assumes the Palestinians' moral superiority. While no one should be surprised in light of the Durban "anti-racism" conference, a U.N.-sponsored orgy of anti-Semitism, it is always depressing to hear it from the organization's leader. It is also a useful reminder of the organization's true nature in this area.