Another outrageous UN appointment

[shira]

Bowing to new pressure from the powerful Arab Group in the race to replace controversial official Richard Falk, the president of the U.N. Human Rights Council has decided to ignore the vetting committee’s official choice, and instead appoint Christine Chinkin — co-author of the Goldstone Report, and a law professor at the London School of Economics – as the UN’s next special rapporteur on “Israel’s violations of the bases and principles of international law.”

....If the U.S. fails to call a vote and stand up for what is right, it will have forfeited its moral justification for serving on a council that just elected Putin, the Castro regime, the Chinese Communist Party, and the House of Saud.

....Yesterday, in an aggressive letter from the Arab Group, the council president was told in emphatic terms that “there is only one appropriate candidate for the position,” that “Professor Chinkin remarkably fulfils the criteria,” and “any deviation could set a dangerous precedent, which we would want to avoid.” Although Indonesia’s Makarim Wibisono had been widely reported by diplomats as the slated pick, in the end the Arab states, following Ramallah’s lead, only wanted Chinkin. A proven, pro-Palestinian legal campaigner, in their view, will be far more effective to promote their global lawfare and BDS agenda than a Muslim diplomat. Chinkin was famously criticized by fellow UN human rights expert Sir Nigel Rodley and others for having failed to recuse herself from the Goldstone inquiry despite having issued a prior statement declaring Israel guilty on the very legal question put before her commission.

...Sir Nigel, Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Committee and a fellow English academic, criticized Chinkin’s failure to recuse herself from the mission, saying “there was regrettably a basis for questioning the appearance of bias” as a result of her public letter. “If such a statement were made by a member of a standing fact-finding body,” wrote Rodley, “it could be expected that such a member would move to recuse himself or herself from the hearing of the issues.” Chinkin was also criticized by a larger group of academics assembled by Chatham House, which, in diplomatic but unmistakable language, rebuked her by emphasizing that ”fact-finding missions should avoid any perception of bias,” that its members should not “act in a way that would damage their impartiality,” and should “therefore exercise great care when writing or speaking on international disputes that could potentially be subject to an investigation.” When Goldstone in 2011 famously retracted the core charge of the Goldstone Report — that Israel killed civilians on purpose — Chinkin joined with two others in attacking him.

Read more: Another outrageous UN appointment | Hillel Neuer | Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/breaking-falks-un-replacement-to-be-christine-chinkin-co-author-of-goldstone-report/#ixzz2xMgM19O4

[shira]

1. Anti-Semitism of the United Nations

#t=70

[Scootaloo]

2. Hudson Institute, Shira? n/t

[shira]

3. Why not comment on the content of the video? About the UN, Israel, Palestine. Give it a try. n/t

[Scootaloo]

4. Because I don't feel the need to subject myself to a quarter-hour of neofascist ravings?

Here. Summation, just because I know you, and I know the Hudson Institute;

"Blah blah, UN is evil, blah blah, Arabs need to die, blah blah, bomb bomb Iran, blah blah, UN still evil, blah blah eurabia, blah blah Israel roxxorz boxxorz lol, blah blah tax cuts"

[shira]

5. Ok, so u have nothing except exaggerating & lying about yr opponents' positions. n/t

[Scootaloo]

6. Which is why I'm not arguing hte point

I just feel no reason to watch some fuck from the Hudson Institute attempt to explain his personal universe to me.

Tell you what. You want me to answer the deranged rantings of a right-wing nutjob? Write a post, don't post a video.

[shira]

7. Dershowitz isn't a rightwing nutjob. Just more smearing & lying about yr opponents. n/t

[Scootaloo]

8. Oh, that was Dershowitz? I didn't recognize him.

I will now consider my point bolded and underlined.

[shira]

10. Real damn shame Obama Admins echo big "RWers" like Dersh. See #9, #11. n/t

[Scootaloo]

12. Well, we agree on that, at least. It is a damned shame.

[shira]

19. It's absurd u see zionists for 2 states & against settlements (Dersh) as RW nutjobs.

What does that make you, when you're pining against Israel's very existence as a Jewish state?

A leftwing nutjob?

Oh right, there is no such thing. Can't find them anywhere.

[azurnoir]

13. Here's Dersh on Obama more recently (from your fav rightwing publication too)

Alan Dershowitz Now Doubts Obama’s Promise to Prevent Iran From Gaining Nuclear Weapons

In an interview with Israeli television presenter Ya’akov Eilon, Dershowitz said, “There is the potential for disaster in the deal with Iran; too much was given for too little in return. The White House told me that this is not true. I was told that it will be possible to reapply the sanctions by the U.S. alone. I am afraid of the music not the lyrics. Iran hears this as the end of the sanctions regime in exchange for which they have to give up nothing. If this ends by stopping the nuclear development, I’ll applaud Obama.

“The President told me that there’s a 50/50 chance of success or failure. I think that the chances of success are only 20%, the chances of failure are 40%, and the rest is uncertain. I think that no one knows whether Iran’s supreme leader has changed his mind and that he is prepared to eliminate the nuclear program. We don’t know if he just put up a smiling face.

“Another point that really scares me is that the supreme leader called Iran’s Jews and told them to stand behind the nuclear facility and to say that they support the nuclear program. This is a message to the Israeli prime minister that they will use Iran’s Jews as a human shield. The message to Netanyahu is – don’t dare use the military option.”

http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/12/10/alan-dershowitz-now-doubts-obamas-promise-to-prevent-iran-from-gaining-nuclear-weapons/

[shira]

14. Do u think Obama will call for an attack on Iran? n/t

[azurnoir]

15. I certainly would hope not and no I do not think he will

why do you?

[shira]

16. So u agree with Dersh! What's the point to posting that article? n/t

[azurnoir]

17. No there's major difference Dersh thinks it's a bad thing I do not

so tell us are you in favor of the US attacking Iran, or assisting Israel there in?

[shira]

18. Nah, you both doubt the POTUS promise. n/t

[azurnoir]

20. so again what do you think? should the US attack Iran or assist Israel in doing so?

2nd time asking

[shira]

21. A military strike is a terrible thing. What's worse is allowing Iran to go nuclear....

So I'm for a strike similar to the one on Iraq in the 80's and Syria just a few years ago to stop such a nightmare from happening.

[azurnoir]

23. so IOW your for it, a similar strike to Iraq? you mean one that would potentially release

all sorts of fallout over Iran?

[shira]

24. Yep, a similar strike to Iraq and Syria. No fallout. Imagine those nations w/ nukes...

Pretty scary, huh?

[azurnoir]

25. umm was Syria's reactor operational at the time of the strike? n/t

[shira]

9. U.S. says glad 'noxious' U.N. rights envoy for Palestine leaving

(Reuters) - The United States on Monday welcomed the imminent departure of a U.N. human rights investigator for the Palestinian territories whom Washington accused of being biased against Israel and spreading conspiracy theories about the September 11, 2001 attacks. Richard Falk, the outgoing United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, told a news conference as recently as last week that Israeli policies bore "unacceptable characteristics of colonialism, apartheid and ethnic cleansing.

In a statement to Reuters, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power condemned what she described as "Falk's relentless anti-Israeli bias, his noxious and outrageous perpetuation of 9/11 conspiracy theories. His publication of bizarre and insulting material has tarnished the U.N.'s reputation and undermined the effectiveness of the Human Rights Council," she said. "The United States welcomes Mr. Falk's departure, which is long overdue."

Falk has long been a controversial figure. In 2011, he wrote on his blog that there had been an "apparent cover-up" by U.S. authorities over the September 11, 2001 attacks. Last year he suggested the Boston Marathon bombings were a response to U.S. foreign policy. Falk, an American law professor who is Jewish, has come to the end of a six-year term in the independent post and the Human Rights Council in Geneva is expected to name a successor soon.

...Power broadened her criticism of Falk to include the 47-nation Human Rights Council as a whole, which she said unfairly singled out Israel - a criticism the U.S. government has made repeatedly. "It is beyond absurd that the only country that has a standing place on the Human Rights Council's agenda is not Syria, not North Korea, and not Iran, but Israel," she said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/24/us-palestinian-israel-un-idUSBREA2N1XU20140324

[shira]

11. US issues scathing attack against UNHRC for singling out Israel

The United States on Friday issued a scathing attack against the United Nations Human Rights Council for its continued biased treatment of Israel and charged that the council was harming the peace process.

America was the sole country to vote against five anti-Israel resolutions with the UNHRC approved on Friday afternoon as it met in Geneva at the close of its 25th session. The fifth resolution that dealt with Israel’s continued presence on the Golan Heights, and its treatment of the Syrian population that lives there, passed with the approval of 33 nations. There were 13 abstentions and one vote against it.

Th US took particular issue with the council’s Agenda Item 7, which mandates that Israel must be debated at every UNHRC session. Israel is the only country with such a standing agenda item. “We are deeply troubled once again to be presented with a slate of one sided resolutions that undermine efforts to make progress in the negotiations,” said Paula Schriefer, who heads the US Delegation to the UNHRC. She noted in particular that the US remains “deeply troubled by the council’s stand alone agenda item directed against Israel and by the many repetitive and one sided resolutions under this agenda item. None of the world’s worst human rights violators, some of whom are the objects of resolutions at this session have their own stand alone agenda item at this council,” Schriefer said. Only Israel, a vibrant and open democracy, received such treatment."

"Especially disturbing is this council complacency with the repeated introduction of a resolution focusing on the Golan Heights. To consider such a resolution while the Syrian regime continues to slaughter its own citizens exemplified the absurdity of this agenda item and each of the other resolution on Agenda item 7,” Schriefer said.

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/US-issues-scathing-attack-against-UNHRC-for-singling-out-Israel-346821

[shira]

22. Who Else Is Being Injured by the Vilification of Israel?

[shira]

26. How UN Watch Fought Anti-Semitism at the U.N. (HD)

[Sarah Ibarruri]

27. It'd be nice if they bothered to discuss violations around the world such as

those against the native Americans in the U.S., the aborigines, and all indigenous people of the world. But they don't. And they won't.

[shira]

28. 2013 at the UN: 21 resolutions against Israel, 4 on rest of the world

The U.N. General Assembly in 2013 adopted a total of 21 resolutions singling out Israel for criticism — and 4 resolutions on the rest of the world combined. See the texts and votes below.

The four that do not concern Israel are: one on Syria, a regime that has murdered 120,000 of its own people, and one each on Iran, North Korea and Myanmar.

http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2013/11/25/this-years-22-unga-resolutions-against-israel-4-on-rest-of-world/

Not one resolution supporting Native Americans, Aborigines, or Indigenous people around the world.

They're busy at that UN fighting "real" causes.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

29. I know. The UN is doing almost nothing to help people whose rights are violated. nt

[shira]

30. Bashing Israel @ the UN is a game for the world's worst rights violators...

It's a way to keep the pressure off themselves.

Many of our "progressive" friends here love how the UN does its dirty business.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

31. It's an easy thing for them. I doubt they're interested in helping the indigenous, or anyone. nt