(Scotland on Sunday-UK) - Ian Mather The UN's Human Rights Commission in Geneva, chaired by a Libyan "judge," Najat al-Hajjajia, from the country that was behind the Lockerbie bombing, will hear Israeli officials defend their country's record on human rights this week. The commission barred the non-governmental body, Reporters Without Borders, from attending its meetings as a punishment for criticizing Libya's record on human rights. Reporters Without Borders said of al-Hajjajia: "Censorship, arbitrary detention, jailings, disappearances, torture; at last the UN has appointed someone who knows what she's talking about." A 129-page Israeli report to the commission states that its actions in the West Bank and Gaza are "part and parcel of the context of armed conflict as distinct from a relationship of human rights." As a result of the Israeli-Palestinian agreement of 1995, "the overwhelming majority of powers and responsibilities in all civil spheres, including economic, social and cultural, as well as a variety of security issues," have been transferred to the Palestinian Authority. "Israel cannot be internationally responsible for ensuring the rights under the [Human Rights] Covenant in these areas," Israel's report says.
2003-07-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive