Israel unfazed by UN report
Israel has responded coolly to a biting new UN-commissioned report on settlements, saying that it lacks credibility given that the authors never visited the West Bank.
The International Fact-Finding Mission on Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which was convened by the UN last March, suggested that the Israeli authorities turn a blind eye to violence by settlers to Palestinians.
It claimed that “the identities of settlers who are responsible for violence and intimidation are known to the Israeli authorities, yet these acts continue with impunity”.
Its general conclusion was that the existence of settlements “has had a heavy toll on the rights of the Palestinians”, and that all settlements have been built in contravention of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The report argued that numerous rights “are being violated consistently and on a daily basis” including non-discrimination, freedom of movement, equality, freedom of expression, freedom to access places of worship, education, and adequate standard of living.
If it is adopted when brought before the UN Human Rights Council in mid-March, the UN will become a backer of settlement boycotts for the first time. The report stated: “Private companies must assess the human rights impact of their activities and take all necessary steps – including by terminating their business interests in the settlements – to ensure they are not adversely impacting the human rights of the Palestinian people in conformity with international law.”
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Paul Hirschson claimed that the fact that the three authors hadn’t gone to the West Bank means they were “not competent to write the report”.
Discussing the document with The AJN, he argued that after Israel denied them access as part of its boycott against the UN Human Rights Council, “they should have turned around and said they were not competent to write it.” He said that he believes that the report is full of “loaded emotional language” but actually lacks any constructive research.
Several Israeli human rights groups opined that Israel’s complaints about the researchers not visiting the West Bank are illogical given it was the country’s policy to bar them.
“The issue is that Israel is unwilling to cooperate with the UN on these issues,” said Reut Mor, spokeswoman for the only Israel organisation that sent a submission to the mission, Yesh Din.
“We think the Israeli government is making a really big mistake shooting the messenger. Israel should take the opportunity to start listening to criticism of the international community and stop dismissing it,” she added.
The discussion of a boycott raised the ire of nationalist activists. One of the leading advocates for Israel’s law against boycotting settlements, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, told The AJN: “This latest United Nations report is inappropriate. It is beyond the mandate of the UN, or any of its committees or organisations, to call for the boycott of goods from a country.”
She countered the report’s claim regarding the Fourth Geneva Convention saying: “The Israeli presence in the West Bank is fully in accordance with international law, and any report saying otherwise ignores the history of the region.”
NATHAN JEFFAY
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