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Israel and the UN's selective human rights

By Danny Lamm - posted Friday, 8 October 2010


Clearly, the UNHRC disregarded any shred of evidence that could have indicated a balanced outcome.

Israel is conducting its own investigation into the flotilla as expected of any democratic nation. The IDF Examination Commission, headed by Major General (res.) Giora Eiland, has already completed its work. The Turkel Commission agreed to the participation of two international observers even though it is not legally bound to do so, and is still working on its report.

As a member of the United Nations, Israel should be supported when it comes to issues of its immediate and future security such as Palestinian rejection of Israel’s right to live in peace and the main by-product of Palestinian rejectionism, terror attacks against Israelis from both Gaza and the West Bank.

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It has become increasingly clear that Israeli “settlement building” is not the cornerstone of peace negotiations but that the issue of settlements is used as a bargaining chip to maintain pressure on Israel and divert attention away from the issues that the Palestinians don’t want to deal with.

When he implemented the freeze on settlement building for 10 months Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu undertook a major step for peace. It was a gesture of goodwill in the face of much criticism from his supporters. Regrettably no gesture was ever offered in return by the Palestinians.

Instead Israelis just got more of the same that they have come to expect from a fractured Palestinian leadership: terror in the form of rockets from Gaza fired onto population centres in the southern cities of Sderot and Ashkelon and shootings in the West Bank.

Between September 13 and 16, Hamas launched 14 rockets and mortars from in the Gaza Strip. Some of these attacks that deliberately targeted civilians contained white phosphorous, a fact publicly acknowledged by Palestinian statements in the media. In addition, during this same period, Palestinian terrorists fired rocket propelled grenades at Israeli soldiers conducting routine patrols along the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

As Netanyahu and Abbas sat down to direct negotiations in Washington a week later, four Israelis including a pregnant woman were shot dead by Hamas terrorists in the West Bank. The PA leadership condemned the attacks but has failed to stop terror against Israelis, one of the original principles set out in peace agreements more than 10 years ago.

President Abbas was recently quoted giving his word that terror would not be the outcome after the building freeze expired but attacks on Israelis continue. Then a pregnant Israeli woman survived another shooting in the West Bank.

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Nor is the PA closer to accepting the concept of a two-state solution. During the direct negotiations, a meeting held between Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon ended abruptly because Fayyad refused to agree to the words “two states for two people” in the meeting summary.

Finally, if the PA wants to take steps forward for peace, it should intervene in the ongoing issue of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit held captive by Hamas for more than four years. Hamas is holding Gilad against his will, in breach of international human rights conventions. Gilad Shalit’s captivity surely stands in the way of any peace agreement.

Israelis continue to support peace efforts but at the same time will continue to be concerned about the issues that threaten their security and future. The United Nations and human rights activists should address these issues and make the statement that they value human rights not just for some, but for all nations.

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About the Author

Dr Danny Lamm has been President of the Zionist Council of Victoria since 2002.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Danny Lamm

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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