April 16, 2003
The United Nations Human Rights Commission yesterday overwhelmingly condemned Israel for "mass killing" of Palestinians, and for its settlement policy in the territories.
The United States was alone in voting against all four resolutions, saying that the criticism of Israel was one-sided and unfair. The resolutions followed impassioned arguments earlier in the commission's annual session during which Palestinian delegate Nabil Ramlawi claimed that Israel used forms of killings and torture which "were worse than the practices of Nazism." The comments caused an outcry among Jewish groups.
Israel is regularly condemned by the 53-nation commission - the top UN human rights body - which this year is chaired by Libyan Ambassador Najat Al-Hajjaji. In a report to the commission, UN special investigator John Dugard criticized Israeli violations and said construction of a barrier separating Israelis and Palestinians was illegal.
The commission passed by 50 votes to one a resolution put forward by European countries which voiced "grave concern" at continuing Israeli settlement activities "including the illegal installation of settlers in the occupied territories." It criticized the restrictions on freedom of movement of Palestinians and the so-called security wall, while also condemning "indiscriminate terrorist attacks."
The United States voted against the motion. Australia and Costa Rica abstained. Israel is not a member of the commission.
A tougher seven-page resolution sponsored by African and Arab nations criticized "the gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, in particular, acts of extra-judicial killing, closures, collective punishments, the persistence in establishing settlements, arbitrary detentions, the besieging of Palestinian towns and villages, the shelling of Palestinian residential districts from warplanes, tanks and Israeli battleships, the conducting of incursions into towns and camps and the killing of men, women and children there." It condemned the "acts of mass killing perpetrated by the Israeli occupying authorities against the Palestinian people."
It was passed by 33 votes to 5, with Canada, Australia, Germany and Peru joining the United States in opposition. There were 15 abstentions, mainly from European nations. U.S. delegate Michael Southwick said the resolution failed to reflect the reality of Palestinian suicide bombers and terrorism against innocent Israeli men, women and children.
"Israel is not responsible for all the ills plaguing the people in the region. Israel has the right to self-defense," Southwick said. Canadian Ambassador Christopher Westdal said the language of the text was "unacceptable and often inflammatory." Another resolution affirming the "inalienable, permanent and unqualified right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including their right to establish their sovereign and independent Palestinian state," passed 51-1.
A final resolution called on Israel to desist from changing the physical character and legal status of the Syrian Golan Heights it occupied in the 1967 war. That passed 31-1, with 21 abstentions.
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