From Haaretz:
The Obama administration is trying to delay the establishment of a panel appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
U.S. Middle East envoy David Hale met in Bern last week with UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay and asked her not to advance the matter in the near future.
According to the text of the decision to establish the panel, it is meant "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." However, the UN Human Rights Commissioner has yet to formulate a clear mandate for the panel and has not appointed a chairman or members.
Foreign Ministry officials noted that the U.S. wants to postpone the establishment of the panel to the latest possible date, hoping this will lead to the unofficial burial of the matter. However, the assessment is that it will not be possible to prevent the establishment of the panel, so the aim is therefore to delay it until at least after the U.S. presidential elections in November.
On March 30, a week after the decision by the UN Human Rights Council, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon traveled secretly to Washington to meet with his U.S. counterpart Bill Burns. Ayalon asked for help in thwarting the establishment of the panel and even suggested that the U.S. publicly threaten to quit the UN Human Rights Council if the panel is established.
The Americans did not respond to that threat, as they view membership in the UN Human Rights Council as a central issue in the foreign policy of the Obama administration. However, the Americans agreed to pressure the UN Human Rights Commissioner on the date of the establishment of the panel and the mandate that it will receive.
“On March 30, a week after the decision by the UN Human Rights Council, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon traveled secretly to Washington to meet with his U.S. counterpart Bill Burns. Ayalon asked for help in thwarting the establishment of the panel and even suggested that the U.S. publicly threaten to quit the UN Human Rights Council if the panel is established.
The Americans did not respond to that threat, as they view membership in the UN Human Rights Council as a central issue in the foreign policy of the Obama administration. However, the Americans agreed to pressure the UN Human Rights Commissioner on the date of the establishment of the panel and the mandate that it will receive. ”
Obama and Biden’s cajones are still smarting from Israel kicking them right in the family jewels when they tried to take a stand on illegal settlements continuing to be the “obstacle to peace”
Too bad Obama keeps rolling over
Some but not all members of the UN “Human Rights” Council
are
Eritrea : Whose refugees flood through our southern border daily.
Egypt :)
Sudan ROFL
Pakistan double ROFL
Qatar who rules there ?
Saudi Arabia : that’s not even funny
Zimbabwe : Are you kidding me?
Congo : “Many Pygmies in Congo live as slaves to Bantu masters.[”
Russian Federation :)
People’s Republic of China : A known human rights beacon
Cuba : Always did had a soft spot for Fidel.
Why the US keeps funding this travesty i have no idea :)
You are aware OlegR that membership on the UNHRC changes, regularly. Eventually every UN Member State will have been on it eventually… what will you say when Israel appears on the list?
Meanwhile, what has been happening in the countries you cared to mention, is within their own sovereign territory, outside the mandate of the UN.
Israel’s crimes are NOT BEING PERPETUATED IN ISRAEL, they’re being perpetuated OUTSIDE of Israel’s recognized legal sovereign extent. It is the DUTY of the UN and its various bodies to be critical of states acting OUTSIDE their recognized sovereignty.
Perhaps you should read the UN Charter and the hundreds of UNSC resolutions against Israel, which have only been issued because it has been acting outside of its recognized legal sovereignty for the last 63 years.
Israel did AGREE to abide by the UN Charter, in its entirety.
If it doesn’t like what it agreed to, it can leave the UN and the many UN bodies it benefits from.
You seem to be failing int grasping the irony in the fact
that these states sit on the “Human Rights” council.
Can’t help you with that sorry.
Regarding the inside/outside argument i guess what you are saying that it’s OK to do what these countries do as long as they do it on their own
sovereign territory.Am i right?
So Oleg, whats wrong issues in this list ? :
link to ohchr.org
Syrian situation is just fine , because members in HRC are morons, right ?
Sri Lanka reconciliation and accountability is full of air, HRC members are nuts.
Composition of staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. All is just fine, as it should be ?
Adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living in the context of disaster settings. Do i have to say something….HRC members are idiots to think something like this…
Question of the realization in all countries of economic, social and cultural rights. NOOOO, its not right. And anyway HRC members are morons.
Etc etc.
Never said they were morons.
I guess you know something i don’t.
But anyway.
Human Rights don’t go with any of the countries that i listed before.
The mere fact that these countries are allowed a seat on this council
is a travesty that puts to mockery the whole idea of Human Rights
and the UN itself.
Is this simple enough or should i simplify it even more?
OlegR :
Thats what you mean. And yes, i read a lot.
But they manage to pass many inportant resolutions in HRC, but my God when they mention Israel, that reveals what they are.
No. You’ll find any excuse when Israel is target. Latest resolution in Syria case is also no go ? Because it was passed human rights violators also.
Wanna try another excuse ?
Same human rights council passed Syria resolution. Same human rights council has passed Israel mocking resolutions. Both are wrong ? Yes, no ?
What will the U.S. government do about this after the election (especially if Romney is elected in November)?
lysias, nothing significant, whether it’s Obama or Romney.
Probably nothing
Adam, Phil etc not sure where to put this.
I had the great honor of getting to know a young man who is from Afghanistan and was studying here in the states for three years on a Fulbright scholarship. He is now back in his country He tells me I can use his name when referencing what he says. But I do not. Last night after President OBama’s speech about Afghanistan I contacted my friend about our role in his country and President Obama’s speech:
Here is his response
Quote”Regarding the Obama speech, we are glad for the signing strategic partnership agreement with the US. Afghanistan is located in a very sensitive region with two main regional powers, Pakistan and Iran, always want to keep Afghanistan politically and economically weak country in the region. Suppose Afghanistan rejects to sign strategic partnership with the US based on its moral obligation to care of the regional political sensitivities, but the Pakistan and Iran would not understand and appreciate this sacrifice. The only point they know is to fight for their political powers at the region. Therefore, Pakistan tries to use Taliban as a political tool in the region to put forward their internal interest in the region. We need a strong country like US to protect us from the regional distablizers.
However, Afghanistan still needs to fight for its political and economical better condition in the future. The desired outcomes will not be gained soon. It needs decades.”
“Therefore, Pakistan tries to use Taliban as a political tool in the region to put forward their internal interest in the region.”
That’s true. RAWA has an article out which, although slightly roughshod in a few places, correctly points out on how the Taliban are the proxies of Pakistan’s army.
link to rawa.org
There’s global hegemony and then there’s regional hegemony, both of which are incredibly destructive.
“Foreign Ministry officials noted that the U.S. wants to postpone the establishment of the panel to the latest possible date, hoping this will lead to the unofficial burial of the matter. However, the assessment is that it will not be possible to prevent the establishment of the panel, so the aim is therefore to delay it until at least after the U.S. presidential elections in November”
Hummm……so if it’s not going to be possible to prevent it…..then the effort to delay it has to be only because the adm thinks it would become an issue with Jewish voters or donors and OB would be blamed for not stopping it.
So if OB gets relected I guess we will see how much of a fight against it he puts up and whether they is any real weakening of Israel firstdom in his second term.
Considering the fact his own dem party has been so shitty in backing him up on anything, if I were he, I would stick it to them and the Israel firsters all in my second term and exit laughing my a** off.
I think the US electorate will view Romney as a basket case and he’ll lose. To stress, Obama will not win the election. Romney will lose.
Here’s my dream if Obama gets his second term.
Obama will procure the largest pineapple he can find and wedge it up Netanyahu’s anus.
Then the thrusting will ensue:
Obama: ‘Settlements’ Bam!
Netanyahu: ‘Thank you sir! Please may I have another!’
Obama: ‘Two state solution’ Bam!
Netanyahu: ‘Thank you sir! Please may I have another!’
Obama: ‘Equal rights within Israel proper’ Bam!
Netanyahu: ‘Thank you sir! Please may I have another!’
I can’t help but believe these are stories planted for whatever reason. If Haaretz know about this, then surely AIPAC also knows about it – in which case, Obama will gain nothing by stalling until after the elections.
On the other hand, I can’t help but wonder of the UNHRC will be suckered into this agreement, which the US is sure to break anyway.
I can’t help but wonder of the UNHRC will be suckered into this agreement
(Yawn) I can’t help but wonder why the Palestinians requested a politicized UN investigation, when they could easily join the ICC and demand a real criminal investigation.
Maybe because they would loose all that lovely money that the US
and Europe contribute to them.
Yup, if there’s one thing I think of when I think of Palestinians it’s just how obscenely rich they are!!
The have the US Senate and the EU wrapped around their little Palestinian fingers!!
Scam artists!!
Freeloaders!!
I’m just outraged – they’ve got it made while I’ve got to work for a living.
It’s not fair, waaaaaaaaaaah!
Good one Oleg.
I am talking about the PA leadership obviously.
Really ? So who blackmailed here ?
The US and Europe obviously.
At least this is one possible explanation the truth is probably
as complicated as ever.
Truth is very simple. Explanations are complicated.
Oleg R, Yes they may lose money, but failure to act in legal venues open to them will mean more than a loss of money, the ethnic cleansing and settlement enterprise may just be getting into gear. The suggestion that the Palestinians hold back legitimate complaints to the ICC because of threats, is rather like a criminal who has just robbed your house, telling you not to go to the police, or he will steal twice as much next time, unfortunately this blackmail appears to be working with Abbas
/ this blackmail appears to be working with Abbas/
And maybe he just thinks the ICC will throw them and their claims from
all the stairs .Because unlike the politicized UN investigation
whose conclusions will be written before it begins.
The ICC will actually have to abide up to higher standards or ruin
his precious reputation as an apolitical body.
Funny when what ever international body is investigating anything where Israel even close by, that body looses its reputation by some miracle.