UN Rights Council Condemns Israel, Gives Hamas Pass On Gaza Conflict

In an expected move, the United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday approved a report that described Israel's actions in Gaza at the end of 2008 and start of 2009 as war crimes. Israel entered the Palestinian-run territory last December to confront the militant group Hamas after rockets were launched at Israel from Gaza.

The council, which generally tilts against Israel, also passed a resolution Friday criticizing the Jewish state while ignoring Hamas' provocations, specifically the launching of those rockets at Israeli cities.

The resolution not only criticized Israel for its actions confronting Hamas in Gaza earlier this year but for other, long-term actions, for example restrictions it places on Palestinians in East Jerusalem and excavation activities around the Al Aqsa Mosque, a site Muslims consider sacred.

That one-sided condemnation came despite the the report, the work of investigators led by South African Richard Goldstone, also describing some Hamas actions as war-crimes, namely the aforementioned indiscriminate rocketing of civilian areas in Israel.

The council's membership includes some nations that have historically been unfriendly to Israel over the decades who also aren't synonymous with human rights, states like Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and Cuba.

As Reuters reports:

In a special session proposed by the Palestinians, 25 states including China and Russia endorsed the resolution. Six including the United States voted against, and 11 abstained. Four, including France and Britain, did not vote.

 

Palestinian officials promptly called for further U.N. inquiries into Israel's actions.

"The international community should make sure that the decision will become a precedent that will ensure the protection of the Palestinian people from any aggression," said Nabil Abu Rdaineh, aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said the decision was a victory for the Palestinian people and for rights and justice.

"We tell all the countries in the world and the international community to try Israel and its political, security and military leadership for their crimes against our people, in domestic and international courts," Meshaal told al-Jazeera television.

But Israel, which has rejected the charges in the report, said the vote would impair the Middle East peace process.

"This resolution provides encouragement for terrorist organisations worldwide and undermines global peace," the Israeli government said in a statement.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said he did not think the resolution would harm Israel.

"I don't think that this vote today and any resolution or any reference of this Goldstone report will have any consequences in the future because Israel, like other decent countries that are under attack, will do what we need to do to defend ourselves, to defend our civilians," he told Israeli media.