BICOM

Israeli government and opposition leaders have called on states to reject a Palestinian resolution up for a vote today at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which exclusively condemns Israel following the recent UNHRC report into Operation Protective Edge, according to reports.

The McGowan-Davis report, published two weeks ago, has been criticised by Israeli leaders for drawing equivalence between armed groups in the Gaza Strip, which deliberately targeted Israeli civilians and endangered Palestinian civilians, and the IDF, which took extensive measures to minimise civilian casualties. Israeli did not cooperate with the report due to the nature of the resolution which mandated it –  described by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond as “fundamentally unbalanced” – and the initial appointment of William Schabas as chair, who later resigned when it emerged he had done paid consultancy work for the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Meanwhile, the UNHRC itself has a track record of hostility towards Israel, the only country which it is mandated to discuss at each session.

The Palestinian resolution calls for the report’s adoption, but is thought to go beyond the report’s criticism of Israel. According to Haaretz, the latest draft makes no mention of Hamas firing rockets into Israel and even blames Israel for the Palestinian failure to investigate possible war crimes, a failure sharply criticised by the report. However, the present version appears softer than a previous draft. Haaretz says that American and European influence has seen clauses removed calling for new mechanisms to monitor the report’s recommendations and forwarding the report’s conclusions to the International Criminal Court or the UN Security Council for further action.

Nonetheless, Israeli leaders are urging foreign governments to reject the one-sided resolution. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with foreign ambassadors in Israel yesterday to outline his objections. Meanwhile, Zionist Union number two Tzipi Livni wrote to UNHRC member states saying that the resolution adhered to an “indefensible pattern of placing on the same moral and legal plane the terrorists and those defending against them.” Referring to the UNHRC’s disproportionate focus on Israel, she added “Justice selectively applied is no justice at all.” Meanwhile, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said, “This report and the farcical process accompanying it are just another step in the attempts to destroy the State of Israel by diplomatic means.”