Following the UNHRC Commission of Inquiry report on Israel published today, the Jerusalem based NGO Monitor analyzed the report, pointing out its fundamental bias and lack of transparency.

 

Anne Herzberg, NGO Monitor’s Legal Adviser and UN representative notes: “As anticipated, the COI’s first report reflects the UN Human Rights Council’s ongoing obsession with attacking the Jewish state. The COI erases key historical context, assigning almost total blame on Israel for the conflict. Notably, it grossly minimizes and de-contextualizes Palestinian terrorism in order to paint a picture of Israeli venality. The report devotes only a few paragraphs out of 18 pages to violations by Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups. Similarly, the report attacks foundational policies of Israel, making multiple false claims regarding discrimination in order to build a case of racism and so that this permanent COI can later accuse Israel of apartheid. Most of its first report repeats language from previous UN documents, such as the discredited Goldstone report and an UNRWA fundraising appeal. The cited UN reports in turn, are largely based on unverified claims from activist NGOs.

In addition, the report reflects the manifest secrecy under which the COI is operating. No onw knows how the Commissioners, all with prejudicial records, were selected, nor do we know who is actually working for and writing the reports for the COI. Disingenuously, the COI claims it wants to engage in dialogue with Israel and Israeli victims. Yet to our knowledge, while the COI has met with Palestinian NGOs, it has made no efforts to substantively engage with Jewish groups or Israelis who do not promote the Palestinian narrative, nor has it provided any assurances as to how it will conduct its work in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.

Herzberg added: “The report and COI operations to date point to Human Rights Council business as usual, with the COI merely marshaling ‘evidence’ to support its predetermined conclusions against Israel. This and future COI reports will be used to support BDS against Israel as well as efforts to prosecute Israelis at the International Criminal Court. It is also clear that the one-sided presentation by the COI, attacks on Israel’s Law of Return, and conflation of alleged conditions in the West Bank with policies within Israel will bolster Palestinian rejectionism and inflame the conflict even further. No country of conscience should therefore fund or participate in this rigged inquiry.”

Herzberg will appear at the UN Human Rights Council on Monday (June 13) to respond to the report.

For more details and interviews please contact:

Itai Reuveni

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