United Nations
“It is completely inappropriate for a non-member state to preside over the G77,” said Arthur Stark, chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman/CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, in a statement.
The resolution was specifically aimed as Hamas, which has used human shields, including women and children, during its conflicts with Israel.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported that two missiles, presumably from the Golan Heights, targeted a weapons depot and warehouses belonging to non-Syrian militias, most likely Hezbollah, near the airport.
According to a cessation of hostilities agreement between Israel and Syria following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, no troops from either nation are allowed to occupy the space.
Czech Member of the European Parliament Tomas Zdechovsky: “The fact that Israel is the focus of nearly half of the Human Rights Council’s condemnatory resolutions is absurd.’'
“For too long, the human rights council has been a protector of human rights abusers and a cesspool of political bias,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
Israel is the only country with a dedicated item at the UNHRC, known as Agenda Item 7, which mandates a discussion of Israel’s conduct with the Palestinians at every session.
The resolution, proposed by Algeria and Turkey, was passed with 120 “yes” votes to eight “no” votes, and 45 abstentions. It condemned Israel for using “excessive force” against the Palestinians during the recent violence in the Gaza Strip. A U.S. amendment condemning Hamas was rejected.
Following the rejection of a U.S. measure to condemn Hamas mortar attacks on Israeli civilians, the United States has pledged to veto an Arab-authored resolution at the United Nations that would afford “international protection” to Palestinian civilians.
“It is outrageous for the Security Council to fail to condemn Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli citizens while the Human Rights Council approves sending a team to investigate Israeli actions taken in self-defense,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
“The Palestinian leadership needs to be held accountable for what they’re allowing to happen in Gaza,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, noting that mortars are being fired at “civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten.”
Israel’s ambassador to the UNHRC, Aviva Raz Shechter, slammed the special session, calling it “politically motivated and won’t improve the situation on the ground by even one iota.”
