Jeremy Hunt, the British foreign secretary, has revealed that the UK will oppose the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) permanent agenda item on human rights abuses in Palestine.
Writing in the Jewish Chronicle, Hunt insisted that Britain will vote against all texts contained within the Item 7 resolution at the UNHRC’s meeting this Friday, because “elevating this dispute above all others cannot be sensible.”
In Major Breakthrough, Britain, Austria Announce Opposition to Anti-Israel Resolutions at UNHRC: Agenda Item 7, a permanent fixture on the schedule, is exclusively devoted to discussing alleged human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza. https://t.co/FMGQ3Zb8yh pic.twitter.com/VYGTSyOsXx
— The Tower (@TheTowerDotOrg) March 21, 2019
The item has been a permanent fixture on the UNHRC’s agenda, and debated at every session, since June 2007.
Item 7 is devoted to discussing: human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories; human rights violations and implications of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and other occupied Arab territories, right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.
Writing for the JC, the Foreign Secretary says Britain will now oppose what the UN HRC proposes under 'item 7', its dedicated space for proposals aimed at the Jewish state https://t.co/PrPj33nGS1
— Veronika Sohlström (@NikaSohlstrom) March 21, 2019
Hunt opposes the UN’s focus on Israel’s human rights conduct in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories because it suggests “that one side alone holds a monopoly of fault.”
He claims that a dedicated agenda for one nation “obstructs” the prospect of any long-lasting peace in the Middle East.
Reminder that agenda Item 7 of UN HRC: 'Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories.' Threats from UK, Australia, Austria and Denmark give legitimacy to US and Israeli actions & give green light for Israel to continue to act with total impunity. 2/2
— Rawan Arraf (@rawanarraf) March 21, 2019
Ahead of Friday’s vote, the 47-member council discussed seven reports concerning alleged human rights violations by Israel.
In February, a UN human rights inquiry found that the Israeli military may have committed war crimes when 189 Palestinians were killed and 6,100 wounded during Gaza protests.
See @RichardBurdenMP's statement on UK decision to vote against all but one resolution on Israel-Palestine at the UN Human Rights Council. pic.twitter.com/Y8yCk1BEyj
— APPG on Palestine (@PalestineAPPG) March 22, 2019
Palestinian demonstrators “did not pose an imminent threat of death or serious injury to others when they were shot, nor were they directly participating in hostilities,” according to the panel’s report, citing confidential information about those responsible for the killings.
See @RichardBurdenMP's statement on UK decision to vote against all but one resolution on Israel-Palestine at the UN Human Rights Council. pic.twitter.com/Y8yCk1BEyj
— APPG on Palestine (@PalestineAPPG) March 22, 2019
The commission said every use of live fire during the protests was unlawful, while also calling on Palestinians to cease the use of incendiary kites and balloons.
(RT, PC, Social Media)
