The United States Ambassador to the United Nations, on behalf of 27 countries, expressed “deep concern” about the UN’s Commission Of Inquiry (COI) probing alleged human rights violations by the state of Israel against Palestinians.
Condemning the probe, the joint statement released Tuesday, which included signatories such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Poland, urged the UNHRC to cease its clear anti-Israel bias.
“We believe the nature of this COI [commission of inquiry] is further demonstration of long-standing, disproportionate attention given to Israel in the council, and must stop,” the statement underscored.
“We continue to believe that this long-standing disproportionate scrutiny should end, and that the council should address all human rights concerns, regardless of country, in an even-handed manner. Regrettably, we are concerned that the Commission of Inquiry will further contribute to the polarization of a situation about which so many of us are concerned,” they wrote.
A point of particular concern addressed by the 27 countries partained to the open-ended nature of the COI “with no sunset clause.”
In response to the joint statement, Commissioner Miloon Kothari at a press conference in Geneva mocked the demand for a sunset clause and stated, “We would like to see a sunset of the Israeli occupation… but until that time, an open-ended mandate is more than justified.”
In May of 2021, following the multi-day barrage of 4,300 Palestinian rockets toward Israeli civilians, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted 24-9 in favor of a permanent “Commission of Inquiry” to investigate the Jewish State’s treatment of Palestinians.
At the time, Israel strongly condemned the creation of the biased anti-Israel commission, calling it a “moral stain on the international community and the UN.” This week, the UN Commission of Inquiry released a report worthy of its “moral stain” labeling.
The 18-page report pointed the finger at Israel for Palestinian terrorism, alleging that their “persistent discrimination” and “belligerent occupation” are to blame for the violence. The report asserted that the Jewish State is occupying territory that belongs to the (non-existent) “State of Palestine,” including the Gaza strip, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and East Jerusalem.
It is only by ending “Israel’s occupation” that the “persistent cycle of violence” will be stopped, and “the world can begin to reverse historical injustices and move towards self-determination of the Palestinian peoples,” the Commissioner, Miloon Kothari, insisted in a statement.
The month following that 18-page report, Kothari fell into public backlash for his antisemitic remarks claiming social media is controlled by “the Jewish lobby” bent on discrediting the commission.
The United States referred to Kothari’s comments as “outrageous, inappropriate, and corrosive.”
“Antisemitism and anti-Israel bias are a persistent venom that for far too long has poisoned international discourse and polluted international organizations including the United Nations,” Ambassador Michèle Taylor said in a statement.
In a recent interview with Erick Stakelbeck, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, highlighted the anti-Israel sentiment plaguing the United Nations.
“Israel today represents—we’re a tiny country—only 1/10 of 1% of the world’s population,” Erdan explained. “But how many condemnations do we receive at the UN annually? We receive, in general, 70% of the UN’s condemnations.”
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