Israel: UNHRC's action is flawed and biased

This fact-finding mission will find no cooperation in Israel, and its
members will not be allowed to enter Israel and the territories

(Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson)

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) announced today (Friday, July 6 2012)
the membership of a fact-finding mission on Israeli settlements.

The establishment of this mission is another blatant expression of the
singling out of Israel in the UNHRC and of the uncandid approach that
characterizes the Council's dealing with Israel. This singling out of Israel
has unfortunately roots at the very base of the UNHRC, and has even been
formally institutionalized in its founding documents (article 7 of the
Permanent Agenda).

Israel has suspended its ties with the UNHRC following the latter's
decision, in March, to establish this fact-finding mission, and decided to
withhold cooperation with its proceedings and products.

Israel was left with no choice other than to take this decision, after it
became apparent that putting the disproportionate focus on Israel, while
systematically ignoring massive human rights violations in the very
countries who bear responsibility for this focus, only leads to the contempt
and degradation of the important cause of universal human rights.

The suspension of ties by Israel is a wake-up call to democratic countries,
who should attempt to fix the serious corruption of the UNHRC and not allow
the trampling of human rights precisely where the international community
must raise
their banner.

One example among many: at a time when President Assad's regime is
massacring thousands of its own people, the UNHRC only dedicates it symbolic
attention, as if to go through the motions, while turning its resources to
obsessively focus, yet again, on Israel.

This fact-finding mission will find no cooperation in Israel, and its
members will not be allowed to enter Israel and the territories. Its
existence embodies the inherent distortion that typifies the UNHRC treatment
of Israel and the hijacking of the important human rights agenda by
non-democratic countries. The latter, unbothered by and dismissive of human
rights, are taking advantage of their political and numerical weight in
order to distort systematically the proceedings and rules of the UNHRC and
to empty its workings of all moral content.

6 July 2012