Israel Won’t Cooperate With UN Probe of West Bank Settlements
Slams Idea of Probing West Bank on Principle
Israeli officials today reiterated their “outrage” at the United Nations Human Rights Council for deciding to probe illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, adding that they would never cooperate with any probes and would bar any members of the mission from entering the territory.
The UN appointed a panel of three experts to conduct a fact-finding mission on how settlements, illegal under international law, impact the Palestinian civilians living under Israeli occupation.
Israeli official statements blasted the panel as inherently flawed, insisting that any investigation of Israel would have to be “biased” and that the UN should focus its investigations exclusively on “non-democratic countries.”
Israel had severed all ties with the human rights council months ago when the notion was initially raised. The probe is expected to focus only on the occupation’s impact on Palestinians and not its legality, since there seems to be no real question that the occupation is illegal and that the construction of settlement in occupied territory is a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
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persnipoles
July 6th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
have to be “biased” [...] should focus [...] exclusively on “non-democratic countries.” LOL! So now I'm starting to wonder if this other word for special people, or exclusive-club of-the-righteous, 'democracy,' didn't come from their influence as well. Lord knows if e.g. your 'search' of a home involves breaking through outside walls, or your soldiers are caught on tape deliberately breaking the arm of someone already restrained and surrounded… you sure need an awfully special name for yourself…possibly more than one.
Jeff
July 6th, 2012 at 8:39 pm
A lawless international pariah!!
Nicky
July 6th, 2012 at 9:49 pm
"Biased" huh?
why not the usual accusations of "anti-semitism" (as if Palestinians weren´t semitres) and "holocaust denial" as well? If it wasn´t for the American life support of billions of annual tax money and latest weapon perversities this patient would be dead on arrival…
Augustbrhm
July 7th, 2012 at 2:08 am
We all know that this situation with what israel is doing to the Palestinian people with the assistance of the US and the EU cannot continue since 1949.The pressure should be put on "israel"not Iran.This is war crimes/crimes against humanity.
paulBass
July 7th, 2012 at 2:13 am
The political philosopher Hannah Arendt once argued that democracy was such an abused concept we should dismiss as a charlatan anyone who used the word in serious discourse without first clarifying what he or she meant by it.
-Chalmers Johnson, dismantling empire
@JohnEllis02
July 7th, 2012 at 2:48 am
There is nothing wrong with democracy, as it is rule by the 51% most intelligent which is the way it should be.
So, the only way to achieve a secular solution to a criminal government, is to first achieve a moral solution to an immoral society. Namely, to convince people that dividing up the wealth according to intelligence will surely cause wars unending.
richard vajs
July 7th, 2012 at 2:59 am
The article states – "Israel had severed all ties with the (UN) human rights council months ago". Actually, Israel had severed all ties with civilized behavior years ago.
Nothing, and I mean nothing annoys me more than our country's support of these jerks. Our financial support of Israel is reason enough to avoid paying any federal tax that you can avoid.
Roger Lafontaine
July 7th, 2012 at 3:20 am
The attitude that makes anything but war virtually impossible once again on display in Israel.
tom dee
July 7th, 2012 at 4:24 am
Oh what a shock. Does any one need the un to tell them that the settlers are terrorist?
Agi Gróff
July 7th, 2012 at 5:05 am
Let us not play their game any more. Israel has done great harm to our country also, and we let them get away with it. It is time to hold them accountable.
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the lion
July 7th, 2012 at 5:30 am
A democract allows all Adults born on its soil the vote, unfortunately there are an awful lot of Adults born in what Israel calls its country but not the rest of the world that because of their religion are in fact denied that vote!
for sight
July 7th, 2012 at 6:23 am
Don't worry, Hillary Clinton won't put up with this, will she? LOL
zioctopus
July 7th, 2012 at 6:28 am
so-called "Israel" IS a non-democratic country !
The lies are automatic from them !
peter vojta
July 7th, 2012 at 6:51 am
No suprice, Satanic colonist ideology so visibly represented by Israels warmogering, fanatical machine is really "New Nazi Gemany", but Zionism mastered and perfected propaganda…Occupaid Europe meant constant resistance!!! while occupaid Palestine territories mean supporting Israels endless represion ?
Wake up people, Nazies did not have such fanatical visions, did not have WMD – Zionism is very, very visible part of "Satanic organization on planet Earth". peter czech
Guester
July 7th, 2012 at 8:08 am
As bad as you may think the Israeli's are, the Palestinians are much much worse.
If the roles were reversed, just how many Israeli's would the Palestinians allow to live? Israel shows incredible restraint to the constant attacks and murders commited against their citizens. The Palestinians are a failed people with an ideology of hate. Why do you support the barbarians at the gate? Is the West destined to fall like Rome this century?
@JohnEllis02
July 7th, 2012 at 9:27 am
When does the worst possible evil — Establish the best possible good?
ANSWER
When a self-absorbed and indifferent world does nothing while Israel inflicts a slow, methodical and satanic genocide of the Palestine natives, the true settlers whose ancestors discovered the land over 4,000 years ago.
For in the grand scheme of things, Israel was endowed with an ability to do the greatest possible good, has instead used it to inflict the greatest possible evil and in the process has helped to establish an understanding of evil that could have been accomplished in no other way.
deliaruhe
July 7th, 2012 at 9:49 am
Haven't we seen this movie before? Israelis won't participate so that they can complain that the resulting report is biased against them.
Thomas L. Knapp
July 7th, 2012 at 10:15 am
Well, as genocides go, it's not just "slow." The Arab Palestinian population isn't shrinking, it's growing. As a matter of fact, it's growing faster than the Israeli population. Some "genocide."
oward T. Lewis III
July 7th, 2012 at 7:32 pm
Israel is the Rothschild/Rockefeller version of Jonestown, complete with group psychosis. I pity Israel. Many of their top leaders should be in prison for life.
Jan Burton
July 7th, 2012 at 7:42 pm
Yeah I don't think "genocide" is what describes the plight of the Palestinians.
Theft, ethnic cleansing, persecution, apartheid yes – but they're not being exterminated.
It's a shame that people undermine their own cause with such inflammatory rhetoric.
Qualtrough
July 7th, 2012 at 11:01 pm
If your only, pathetic, defense is that the Palestinians are worse, you have already conceded the argument.
DavidDaoud
July 8th, 2012 at 2:19 am
As someone who lived for more than 2 years in the West Bank during the 2nd Intifada, and got to know Palestinians very well, I have to tell you that your comment is from top to bottom Completely Untrue.
Holywarrior6000
July 8th, 2012 at 3:22 am
"…there seems to be no real question that the occupation is illegal and that the construction of settlement in occupied territory is a violation of the Geneva Conventions"
There is indeed 'no real question' for the simple reason that there IS NO LEGAL OCCUPATION since the territories came into Israel's jurisdiction from a PREVIOUS occupation, that of Jordan and Egypt, which makes their status DISPUTED not OCCUPIED. Your ENTIRE argument of illegality and violation of Geneva Conventions therefore goes down the toilet (pardon my French) and is nothing but a massive false LIBEL since Israel's 'settlements' have no less of a right to be where they are than Arab ('Palestinian') settlements
However looking like: 1) Your readers loved your article anyway 2) When it comes to articles against Israel, truth is irrelevant 3) You probably will never publish this comment in any case – you are on a win-win! Enjoy it while it lasts
Holywarrior6000
July 8th, 2012 at 3:54 am
The UN desire to 'investigate Israel' – the only country they seem to have time for since their string of successes in Syria, Darfur and virtually every other cesspit of human rights on the planet – is about as guaranteed to get to the unbiased truth as Al-Qaeda is to be seen marching at the front of a feminist gay-rights parade. The so called UN 'Human Rights Council', those sending this 'mission', is an amalgamation of bastions of free rights from Syria to Saudia Arabia. No anti-Israel political agenda there!!
Holywarrior6000
July 8th, 2012 at 5:41 am
Miss the 'anti-semitism' accusations do you all…? Well I'd hate to see you go home disappointed so here's one courtesy of the European Union's working definition:
"Examples of the ways in which antisemitism manifests itself with regard to the State of Israel… include:
- Claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor
- Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis
- Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation
It's available in 32 other languages on http://www.european-forum-on-antisemitism.org/wor… in case that isn't clear enough for you
Holywarrior6000
July 8th, 2012 at 6:21 am
Sorry to burst your bubble mate but Jews actually inhabited the land over 4000 years before the 'Palestinian nation' was ever invented (which happened sometime in the 1960s as a result of the KGB's establishment of the PLO – until then they just called themselves 'Arabs' which is what they actually are till today) Islam even only came into existence in the 6th century
Holywarrior6000
July 8th, 2012 at 6:30 am
Israel doesn't participate because the reports' conclusions are concluded before the mission is sent. Pretending that they are coming for any purpose other than to issue condemnations that they didn't manage to squeeze into their busy timetable whilst still in New York with all the good work they are doing in Darfur, Syria etc is something that even the ever-apologising Israeli government can't bring itself down to do
Holywarrior6000
July 8th, 2012 at 6:49 am
If your only, pathetic, slander of Israel is that they dare claim that the UN 'Human (as long as you're not Israeli) Rights' council is nothing more than a bunch of human-rights oppressing dictatorships using the 'legitimacy' of the UN to fabricate a one sided narrative against Israel (conveniently ignoring of course Syria, Arab violence against Christians from Egypt to the Palestinian territories, human rights violations in Sudan, Libya etc… ad nauseam) then YOU have already conceded the argument
Holywarrior6000
July 8th, 2012 at 6:52 am
No, actually the most law-abiding beacon of light in a sea of darkness stretching from the Islamic middle east to the liberal lefist West
Holywarrior6000
July 8th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
The answer to your question is: Yes! Without the twisted propaganda broadcast day in day out condemning Israel for every move it makes from everywhere from muslims in the middle east, muslims in the west, western liberal media to the international left, all topped off with the big fine stamp of the UN – the TRUTH might still have a chance of being heard!!
Holywarrior6000
July 9th, 2012 at 1:31 am
I agree. Jews defending themselves from those firing rockets at their towns and villages and against those educating their children from kindergarten age how there is nothing more pleasing to Allah than blowing oneself up to rid the world of a few more Jews must be illegal, or at least immoral!
Klutz
July 9th, 2012 at 9:33 am
What about the Balestinian refugees in Lebanon? You can't blame Israel in that case so who cares about them.
I wonder what would happen if the Jews lost the 48 war, would there be any talk of "Arab occupation being illegal under international law."? Probably not.