Israel cuts all ties to United Nations Human Rights Council; attempts to block fact-finding mission into occupied territories

[YukonTrooper]

From the National Post:

Israel has severed contact with the United Nations Human Rights Council after its launch last week of an international investigation into Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

The decision means that the fact-finding team the council planned to send to the West Bank will not be allowed to enter the territory or Israel, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor. “We are not working with them any more,” Mr. Palmor said about the Geneva-based forum.

“We had been participating in meetings, discussions, arranging visits to Israel. All that is over.”

He added, “There won’t be working relations with them, conversations, passing papers, making visits, exchanging information, consulting one another, attending meetings. That’s work, and it will not take place.”

The international investigation was launched on Thursday, with the United States isolated in voting against the initiative brought by the Palestinian Authority.

Continued:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Israeli leaders swiftly condemned the UN body, saying it was hypocritical and biased toward Israel.

“They systematically and serially make all kinds of decisions and condemnations against Israel without even symbolically considering our positions,” Mr. Palmor said.

He said Israel would continue to co-operate with other UN bodies.

The president of the UN Human Rights Council Laura Dupuy Lasserre said she had seen media reports of Israel’s reaction and, if confirmed, it would be “most regrettable.”

“I have no doubt that it is in the interest of Israel to co-operate with the Human Rights Council on this investigative mission, not least so that it can explain its own policies and actions to the independent commissioners once they are appointed,” she said in a statement.

Asked by Reuters to comment further, she said recent history showed Israel would not stop the fact-finding mission from gathering information by deciding not to cooperate with it, even if it could not physically gain access to the West Bank or Israel.

“The most recent example of refusal to cooperate is Syria, which did not permit either the Human Rights Council mandated Fact-finding Mission or the Commission of Inquiry to enter the country.

“On the other hand, in the case of the other two Commissions of Inquiry that took place in 2011, both Libya and Cote d’Ivoire did cooperate, and allowed the Commissioners to visit.”

As in the Syrian mission, the investigation would have to resort to other sources of information if denied access.

“Unfortunately, the image of Israel would be damaged in a moment of high expectations in the peace negotiations,“ she said. ” I can’t emphasize strongly enough that it is my hope and wish we won’t come to that path.”

Last Thursday, the council passed a resolution deciding to “dispatch an independent, international, fact-finding mission, to be appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council, to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.”

Critics dubbed the investigation Goldstone II — a reference to the highly controversial 2009 Goldstone Report examining the 2008-09 Gaza War.

From Zeenews:

"It means that we're not going to work with them. We're not going to let them carry out any kind of mission for the Human Rights Council, including this probe," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor.

I wonder how far they'll actually go in regards to blocking the probe this time. Israel just doesn't seem to give a what anyone thinks anymore. Well, they never really did, but now they really don't seem to care. How can this be good for Israel by continuing to finger the world?

[Surgeon]

Bah. I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner. The Human Rights Council is a joke.

[sumskilz]

How can this be good for Israel by continuing to finger the world?

Maybe the world likes it. As long as it's consensual I don't see the problem.

[Equilibrius]

I am not exactly on a side in the whole Israel affair, but i am afraid that they are trying to hide something the rest of the world is not supposed to see.

[Basil II the B.S]

''Human Rights'' Council is notoriously controlled by third world Human Rights abusers, most of which are Islamic countries that make sure the focus is on Israel almost exclusively.
Hard to disagree with Israel this time.

[Sir Pignans]

Israel shouldn't boycott thing's like this, it just makes them look worse. Perhaps not people who realise the UNHRC might not be all it seems, but to most people on the street, it has the words Human rights in, and therefore must be a good thing.

Now Israel will have no real defense against any false claims made by the UNHRC, and they can just claim Israel never showed the case to be otherwise. In an alternative situation they could say, 'well, we showed you wrong, here, here and here'. Now they have to remain stocily silent.

[Sadreddine]

They won't care about anything as long as they have the big bad dog sniffing their behinds whatever they say or do.

[florin87]

america's support can only go so far. and they day will come when even america will have enough of them.
the problem with israel is that in its current iteration it is practically a terrorist state. it should either be reformed along more democratic principles or disbanded, or whatever the israeli citizens think is best. but the status quo is becoming intolerable for a lot people and if not corrected it might lead to future backlash against all jews, not just their despotic politicians.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Israel is so stupid.

[nce_wht_guy]

If you give a mouse a cookie, he'll want a glass of milk. If you give a Jew a country,.....

[sumskilz]

the problem with israel is that in its current iteration it is practically a terrorist state. it should either be reformed along more democratic principles or disbanded, or whatever the israeli citizens think is best.

According to Freedom House, Israeli citizens have more political rights than Romanian citizens do.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_in_the_World

[Vanoi]

So no investigation into the settlements in West Bank that are a direct violation of the Fourth Geneva Conventions? Thats too bad.

[magpie]

Oh well, I suppose the present government in Israel has had enough of its expansion policy being looked at by UN people who will not say good things about them.

Also I will give credit to many Israeli citizens who do not like the settlement programme or the present drums of war being beaten in Iran,s case.

The Palestinian state has already been set up in a place called Gaza, My bet is, thats as far as it goes if this government have anything to do with it.

[Thema'zandaar]

''Human Rights'' Council is notoriously controlled by third world Human Rights abusers, most of which are Islamic countries that make sure the focus is on Israel almost exclusively.
Hard to disagree with Israel this time.

Nope. Israel ensures that the focus remains on itself by loudly supporting illegal settlements which piece and parcel the land that would otherwise become part of a Palestinian state. This blocking/cutting-off is an act of censorship.

[Sadreddine]

Thats too bad.

I'm wondering. What kind of 'too bad' is this, the american style 'too bad' (as in, 'whatever, we'll continue to veto any resolution that we perceive goes even remotely against Israel's interests')? Is it sarcastic? Or is it an unaffected yet genuine, normal 'too bad'?

[Vanoi]

I'm wondering. What kind of 'too bad' is this, the american style 'too bad' (as in, 'whatever, we'll continue to veto any resolution that we perceive goes even remotely against Israel's interests')? Is it sarcastic? Or is it an unaffected yet genuine, normal 'too bad'?

Its a "too bad" as in "too bad" nothing can be done.

[Sadreddine]

Nothing can be done? What about actually the US starts to question and really, actively oppose Israeli policies? Perhaps allow it to be openly debated in the US without being JFK'd? Perhaps open the gates of struggle against the blatantly influential pro-Israeli lobbies that are doing so much to damage the US political system and its image to most of the world?

[Vanoi]

Nothing can be done? What about actually the US starts to question and really, actively oppose Israeli policies?

Not going to happen. Nor would it change anything considering Israel would still openly defy UN Resolutions (like how it still refuses to follow UN Resolutions 242 and 476)

Perhaps allow it to be openly debated in the US without being JFK'd?

You can.

Perhaps open the gates of struggle against the blatantly influential pro-Israeli lobbies that are doing so much to damage the US political system and its image to most of the world?

Good luck. They are influential for a reason.

[Phier]

Israel shouldn't boycott thing's like this, it just makes them look worse. Perhaps not people who realise the UNHRC might not be all it seems, but to most people on the street, it has the words Human rights in, and therefore must be a good thing.

So they should just bend over to the BS and thats going to make it better. The only people who would think this looks bad already have made up their mind.

Israel is so stupid.

See?

[magpie]

Nothing can be done? What about actually the US starts to question and really, actively oppose Israeli policies? Perhaps allow it to be openly debated in the US without being JFK'd? Perhaps open the gates of struggle against the blatantly influential pro-Israeli lobbies that are doing so much to damage the US political system and its image to most of the world?

I think the US politicians get more hassle to back Israel no matter what from the Christian zealots who far outnumber the Jewish lobby.
The democrat,s get it in the neck from the Jew,s and the republicans from the christians.

For the palestinians its a lose lose situation, Unless they can organize a decent lobby group in the US with plenty of cash to spread around, As the states seems to be run by lobby groups anyway?

Although its not the only country afflicted by the lobby curse which is spreading like a virus.