When you see a headline like: Israel Under Fire At UN Over Rights Record, it sounds pretty serious. Then you read the article itself.
The Jewish state was being examined by the U.N. Human Rights Council as part of the “Universal Periodic Review” to which every U.N. member state must submit.
In Thursday’s session, Syria’s ambassador to the council referred ironically to the “oasis of democracy” he claimed was presented by Israel’s own submission as part of the proceedings.
The Palestinian representative declared he was “astonished” by Israel’s presentation “which did not mention its responsibilities as an occupying power” in the Palestinian territories.
So Syria which represses its opposition and is occupying a neighboring country (through intimidation) and the Palestinians who still engage in vicious antisemitic propaganda and deny their own people due process are judging Israel.
Israel’s ambassador Aharon Leshno-Yaar said his country wished to show “proof of its humility” before the council, but also pointed to progress in the rights of disabled people, greater tolerance of sexual diversity and the banning of corporal punishment in schools.
“Greater tolerance of sexual diversity” is an excellent rebuke to societies that still countenance “honor killings.” But in this forum such a rebuke may be brazenly ignored.
This failed to convince Israel’s Arab neighbors who rained down criticism of the treatment of the Palestinians who have lived under occupation for more than four decades.
Israel failed to its “Arab neighbors.” What a surprise. If its Arab neighbors were interested in giving Israel a fair hearing, that sentence might have some significance. But this was the proceeding of a kangaroo court. To treat it as a serious hearing is ridiculous.
Claudia Rosett shares some nuggets demonstrating how perverse this review of Israel’s human rights record is, including:
Epitomizing the hypocrisy of this exercise is a statement submitted to the U.N. earlier this year by Iran, which also helped organize the original, 2001 Durban conference. Tehran proclaims that “The Islamic Republic of Iran, according to its formal and practical policies, is opposed to any policy based on racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and has fought against this phenomenon at national, regional and international levels.” This comes from the Iranian regime, which along with supporting terrorists, threatening to wipe Israel off the map and violating five U.N. Security Council resolutions meant to stop its nuclear bomb program, pursues domestic policies of forcing women to wear the veil and executes homosexuals.
All that’s missing is the Queen of Hearts.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
