The United Nations Human Rights Council has once again condemned the Jewish state, for what it referred to as the “apparent intentional use of unlawful lethal and other excessive force” against civilian protesters in Gaza. Despite the agency’s clear bias, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet voiced regret that Israel shunned the report, “without addressing any of the very serious issues raised.” She also called for the Israeli so-called “perpetrators of violations” in the Hamas-controlled enclave to face justice.
The condemnation came on the final day of a four-week session, during which the Geneva forum adopted the resolution on accountability, that was brought forward by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The vote saw 23 states vote in favor, including China, Cuba Saudi Arabia and Somalia – among others – 8 voted against, including Australia, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Fiji, Ukraine and Brazil, and 15 member-states abstained. While the internationally recognized terror-group Hamas welcomed the U.N. resolution as “a step in the right path towards supporting Palestinian rights;” the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem condemned the U.N. Agency for repeating “its absurd and hypocritical ritual of creating a Commission of Inquiry singling out Israel, whose findings against Israel are predetermined, and then adopting them, all the while ignoring the reality on the ground.” That said, the Foreign Ministry noted its satisfaction with the fact that ” a moral majority of countries did not endorse the resolution,” which in effect ‘provides the bias council with a clear “vote of no confidence in (its) report.”‘