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Ten Basic Facts about the UN Human Rights Council

(UN Watch) Leon Saltiel - UN Watch testified Monday on the UN Human Rights Council's selectivity, hypocrisy, and grant of impunity to gross human rights violators during a day-long debate on alleged Israeli human rights violations. Today and this week, this council is saturating the media with a plethora of reports on alleged Israeli sins. We are given the flotilla report, the Goldstone follow-up, and more. Lost in this blitz, however, are basic facts: The flotilla probe was created in a June 2nd resolution sponsored by the council's Islamic and Arab states. The outcome was predetermined. Israel was condemned "in the strongest terms," as guilty of committing an "outrageous attack." No mention was made of the flotilla organizers' Jihadist intentions and actions. Supporter of the one-sided mandate included countries like Sudan, China, Pakistan, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Russia. The greatest supporter of the inquiry was the terrorist group Hamas. The Palestinian Authority itself opposed the probe, understanding it would only strengthen the Hamas terrorists. Likewise, the Goldstone follow-up committee was created on March 25 by a one-sided resolution that attacked Israel but said nothing on Hamas terrorism. It was sponsored by the Arab and Islamic states. Seventeen refused to support the resolution, including countries like the U.S., Britain, France, Belgium Italy and the Netherlands. Since the council was created in 2006, out of 40 resolutions criticizing countries, 33 were against Israel - and seven for the rest of the world combined. Out of 10 emergency debates that criticized countries, 7 were against Israel. Today's meeting takes place under an agenda item that permanently singles out Israel for discriminatory treatment. Even UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on 20 June 2007, criticized the item's bias. In May 2009, after Sri Lanka killed some 20,000 civilians, this council praised it for the "promotion and protection" of human rights. In this session there is not a single resolution on any of the world's worst violators of human rights. Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, and Zimbabwe all enjoy impunity. Mr. President, we challenge any of the distinguished delegates to dispute these basic facts.
2010-10-01 09:36:32
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