Israel weighs ways to penalize PA in wake of UN human rights probe (probe into settlements)

[azurnoir]

Israel is considering sanctions against the Palestinian Authority after the United Nations' Human Rights Council decided to establish an international investigative committee on the West Bank settlements.

Today, a forum of eight senior Israeli cabinet ministers is scheduled to meet in Jerusalem to discuss sanctions against the PA and representatives of the UN Human Rights Council in Israel. It is unclear whether any decisions will be made during today's meeting.

<snip>

Senior officials in the Prime Minister's Bureau and the Foreign Ministry said Israel would not cooperate with the UN committee. The Prime Minister's Bureau decided Friday that the committee's members - who are yet to be determined - would not be allowed into Israel.

Lieberman said he was considering asking the United States and other members of the council to resign. Yet this appears an impossibility, as the Obama administration, for one, views membership in the council as one of the basic building blocks of its international policy.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-weighs-ways-to-penalize-pa-in-wake-of-un-human-rights-probe-1.420541

[oberliner]

1. Weighs ways?

I'd love to know who wrote that headline.

Ha'aretz English online edition has issues.

Weighs ways indeed.

[Jefferson23]

2. What a shock..contemplating sanctions..now shut the hell up Palestinians! n/t

[Scurrilous]

3. Israel to Block UN Mission on Settlements

<snip>

"Israel intends to block a United Nations mission to investigate settlement activity in the occupied territories.

Israel says it will not cooperate with a fact-finding mission of the United Nations Human Rights Council which plans to investigate the effects of Jewish settlements on the civil rights of Palestinians.

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told Israel Radio that the Israeli government will not allow the U.N. delegation to enter the country."

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Israel-to-Block-UN-Mission-on-Settlements--144144455.html

[holdencaufield]

4. I'm not sure why UN representatives even need to enter the West Bank.

I'm sure the entire report is already written and sitting on the laptops of the UN delegates. They could have used all the leftover boilerplate from the Goldstone Report.

[azurnoir]

5. Thank you for pointing that out the UN reps don't need to enter Israel

they need to enter the West Bank

[oberliner]

6. Thanks for posting

[Scurrilous]

7. Deputy FM makes urgent U.S. visit in effort to nix UN settlement probe

Danny Ayalon sent to Washington to seek U.S. help in thwarting UN Human Rights Council probe of settlements, Haaretz has learned.

<snip>

"Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon made a lightning, secret visit on Thursday to Washington to seek U.S. help in thwarting the work of a UN-sponsored international committee to probe the West Bank settlements.

Haaretz has learned that Ayalon was sent to Washington to meet with senior administration officials over the decision of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council decision, announced last week.

Ayalon conveyed a message to the American administration that Israel wants the United States to act to limit the committee’s mandate so its recommendations will be less binding.

According to a senior Israeli official, Ayalon was in Washington for only 24 hours, and met with Deputy Secretary of State William Burns. Ayalon had no other meetings scheduled.

The Foreign Ministry kept Ayalon’s special mission under wraps, although in Washington, his meetings appeared on the calendar the U.S. State Department issues every day. A clandestine visit such as this is not the norm for Ayalon, who releases frequent press statements on his activities."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/deputy-fm-makes-urgent-u-s-visit-in-effort-to-nix-un-settlement-probe-1.421591

[King_David]

8. good

The UNHRC is a Jewish State obsessed bunch of bigoted thugs.

[azurnoir]

9. Is that why the UNHRC is investigating human rights in North Korea and Iran too ?

but not to worry North Korea and Iran are blocking the investigations too

[King_David]

10. It has issued 25 resolutions against countries, of which 20 resolutions were leveled against Israel

' It has issued 25 resolutions against countries, of which 20 resolutions were leveled against Israel, four against Myanmar and one against North Korea, according to UN Watch.'

http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=128677

[azurnoir]

12. Human Rights Council adopts 11 resolutions on Iran, Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Israel

Action on Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran

In a resolution (A/HRC/19/L.22) regarding the situation of human rights in Iran, adopted by a vote of 22 in favour, 5 against and 20 abstentions, the Council welcomes the report and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and expresses serious concern at the developments noted in that report as well as the lack of access permitted to the Special Rapporteur to travel to Iran; decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran for a further period of one year, and requests the Special Rapporteur to submit a report on the implementation of his mandate to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-second session, and to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session; calls upon the Government of Iran to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur and to permit access to visit the country as well as all information necessary to allow the fulfilment of the mandate; and requests the Secretary-General to provide the Special Rapporteur with the resources necessary to fulfil the mandate.

Action on Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

In a resolution (A/HRC/19/L.29) regarding the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, adopted without a vote, the Council expresses its very serious concern at the ongoing grave, widespread and systematic human rights violations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 16/8, for a period of one year; urges the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur and to permit him unrestricted access to visit the country; also urges the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to ensure full, rapid and unimpeded access of humanitarian assistance; and requests the Secretary-General to provide the Special Rapporteur with all assistance and adequate staffing necessary to carry out his mandate effectively, with the support of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.


On freedom of religion or belief, the Council condemned all forms of violence, intolerance and discrimination based on or in the name of religion or belief, and urged States to ensure that no one was deprived of the right to life, liberty or torture because of religion or belief.

Concerning birth registration and the right of everyone to recognition everywhere as a person before the law, the Council called upon States to establish or strengthen existing governmental institutions responsible for birth registration and the preservation and security of such records. States should identify and remove physical, administrative and other barriers that impeded access to birth registration.

With regards to the participation in political and public life by persons with disabilities, the Council called upon States to ensure that persons with disabilities could effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, including the right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected, and to participate in the conduct of public affairs.

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=12004&LangID=E

virtually all of the UNHRC's resolutions concerning Israel are about its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza

[King_David]

11. The UNHRC is a JOKE nt

[shira]

13. Some "progressives" can't find any fault at all with the UNHRC. n/t