GENEVA (WJC) – A call made by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) encouraging businesses to boycott Israeli settlements was strongly condemned by the World Jewish Congress (WJC) on Friday. “It is shameful that an important UN body should join the hypocritical international campaign against Israel, and it is even more lamentable that so many countries did not have the courage to vote against this one-sided resolution proposed by some of the worst offenders with respect to human rights,” said WJC Chief Executive Officer Robert Singer in a statement.
Other Jewish organizations added their voices to the condemnation by the World Jewish Congress.
“This resolution will only serve to worsen the standard of living of thousands of Palestinian workers and their families and will set back the cause of peace,” The WJC’s Singer said. He also expressed disappointment that the European Union members of the UN Human Rights Council did not have the courage to oppose such a biased text. “All UNHRC resolutions on Israel are by their nature one-sided and tainted and all member states should vote against them because they are harmful to the peace process.”
In a resolution sponsored by a number of countries with ugly human rights records, including Pakistan and Zimbabwe, and adopted by the council this Friday by 46 to one, all states are urged to “ensure that they are not taking actions that assist the expansion of settlements or construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.”
Further, the resolution fuels the boycott movement by urging all states “to provide information to individuals and businesses on the financial, reputational and legal risks, as well as the possible abuses of the rights of individuals, of getting involved in settlement-related activities, including economic and financial activities, the provision of services in settlements and the purchasing of property.”
The United States was the sole country to vote against the five anti-Israel resolutions. Four of the five resolutions attacked Israel’s treatment of Palestinians over the pre-1967 lines and were approved 46 to 1. The fifth resolution that dealt with Israel’s continued presence on the Golan Heights, and its treatment of the Syrian population that lives there, passed with the approval of 33 nations. There were 13 abstentions and one vote against it.
“We are deeply troubled once again to be presented with a slate of one sided resolutions that undermine efforts to make progress in the negotiations,” said Paula Schriefer, who heads the US Delegation to the UNHRC. She noted in particular that the US remains “deeply troubled by the council’s stand alone agenda item directed against Israel and by the many repetitive and one sided resolutions under this agenda item.”
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AJC Executive Director David Harris said in a statement: “Obsessively singling out one UN member, Israel, totally undermines the very credibility of this UN body.”
“Precisely when Israelis are seeking through negotiations a permanent, sustainable peace agreement, the Human Rights Council has once again seen fit to embolden those Palestinians who believe they can skirt the peace process and rely on international pressure on Israel,” Harris added.
Moreover, particularly galling – indeed, deserving of a Nobel Prize in Chutzpah – was the Human Rights Council resolution on the “Syrian Golan,” sponsored by the Assad regime, responsible for more than 150,000 deaths, millions of refugees and unlimited use of violence against innocent Syrians over the past three years.
“The robotic response of a majority of Human Rights Council members to the anti-Israel measures is appalling,” said Harris. “Only the U.S., to its everlasting credit, has demonstrated by action its principled commitment to the Council’s mission and to opposing this international diplomatic charade against Israel.”
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The Anti-Defamation League commented that every European member of the UNHRC “willfully turned a blind eye to the amplified demonization of Israel contained in the resolution.”
ADL said that the resolution’s language demonstrates the “boundless” nature of the UNHRC’s obsession with and willingness to attack Israel, and expressed dismay at the nearly unanimous support the resolution enjoyed.
Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
“How sad that there was not one courageous European voice to say no to this U.N. infamy. The passage of this anti-Israel resolution demonstrates that the UNHRC’s single-minded focus on Israel and willingness to escalate attacks against the Jewish State is boundless. While somewhat watered down from earlier, more egregious drafts, the resolution’s language – including veiled threats of financial repercussions for companies doing business with Israeli settlements – will undoubtedly serve to bolster advocates of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and their illegitimate hateful campaign against Israel.
“We are greatly dismayed that this resolution passed with near unanimity, including receiving backing of all European members of the UNHRC who, despite whatever disagreements they have with Israel over its settlement policies, willfully turned a blind eye to the amplified demonization of Israel contained in this resolution. Conversely, we welcome the dissenting vote and voice from the United States, including the strong statement delivered by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Paula Schriefer, who appropriately denounced the ‘one sided’ nature of the resolutions.
“We greatly appreciate continuing efforts by the US to defend Israel’s legitimacy at the United Nations and in various other international forums.
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