UNHRC would rather castigate Israel than end genocides

[scandal 951]

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1121406.html

Last update - 01:16 16/10/2009

U.S. Congressman: UNHRC would rather castigate Israel than end genocides

By Natasha Mozgovaya, Barak Ravid and Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies

A U.S. congressman on Thursday accused the UN Human Rights Council of choosing to "castigate" Israel rather than ending genocides around the world, a day before the council was to vote on a resolution endorsing a damning on Israel's conduct during its offensive on the Gaza Strip.

"The UN Human Rights Council seems more concerned with castigating the State of Israel than ending genocide in Darfur, stopping mass murder in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or ending human rights abuses in countries like Iran and North Korea," said U.S. Representative Mark Kirk, co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Israel at the UN.

The 575-page report, drafted by South African Judge Richard Goldstone, concluded that Israel used disproportionate force, deliberately targeted civilians, used Palestinians as human shields, and destroyed civilian infrastructure during its December 27-January 18 incursion into the Gaza Strip to root out Palestinian rocket squads.

Kirk blasted the council for ignoring human rights abuses in other countries, and declared: "The American taxpayer should not be forced to subsidize anti-Israel activities at the United Nations.

"Given the Human Rights Council's decision to prioritize the castigation of Israel at the expense of the rights of people in Darfur, North Korea, Iran and Venezuela, the U.S. Administration should reconsider its membership," he added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday urged members of the UNHRC to reject a resolution endorsing the report.

"Israel's only real crime is that it does not have an automatic majority in the UN," Netanyahu said at a joint press conference with visiting Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

"We hope that all responsible countries will tomorrow vote against that decision, which aids and encourages terror and strikes at peace," Netanyahu said.

The Geneva-based council is expected to vote Friday on the resolution, which would ask the Security Council in New York to determine within six months whether both sides are carrying out credible investigations into alleged abuses or to refer the issue to the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands.

Netanyahu argues that the resolution, if adopted, would hamper Israel's ability to defend itself and therefore discourage it from making possibly risky concessions for peace with the Palestinians.

The UN's top human rights official backed the report Thursday accusing Israeli forces and Palestinian militants of war crimes during their conflict in Gaza last winter.

Navi Pillay's endorsement of the report by an expert group led by Judge Richard Goldstone came as Israel warned the UN Human Rights Council that approving the document risked undermining Middle East peace.

Pillay told the 47-member council that she supported the report's recommendations, including its call for urgent action to counter impunity - meaning that Israel and Hamas must investigate and prosecute those who committed war crimes.

President Shimon Peres earlier on Thursday met Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero and discussed the Goldstone report, the Iranian nuclear issue and advancing the Middle East peace process.

Referring to the Goldstone report, Peres said, "Israel has investigated every war and action which it was compelled to undertake. We do not need outside judges. We will not allow a majority that is hostile to Israel to judge us."

Peres continued, "If the Human Rights Council wants to be fair, I suggest that it consider Iran's call for Israel's destruction.... There is a limit to hypocrisy. Why isn't Iran being investigated? Why does everyone remain silent?"

Peres added that "Hamas fired missiles at homes, operated in the heart of the population and used children as human shields. No investigative committee, including Goldstone's, has provided an answer as to how to prevent Hamas's despicable terrorist acts against Israeli citizens."

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

A Republican Congressman assailing a UN body? Where's the news?

[Peikko 1,575]

I guess one can't expect a less biased article considering the source but the headline is laughable in its stupidity.