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UNHRC adopts diminished resolution on Gaza conflict

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The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) overwhelmingly adopted a resolution, hostile towards Israel, which backs the findings of a report on Operation Protective Edge.

The report, published last month, was commissioned by the UNHRC. Israeli leaders criticised the report, calling it inherently biased, given that the commission’s mandate, which Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond described as “fundamentally unbalanced” appeared to target Israel. Meanwhile, the UNHRC itself has a track record of hostility towards Israel, the only country which it is mandated to discuss at each session.

Friday’s resolution not only adopted the report’s findings, but also ignores the report’s criticism of the Palestinians and does not mention rockets fired by Hamas from Gaza during the conflict. Nonetheless, it represents a watered down version of an original draft, which apparently included clauses 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. It is thought that American and European pressure brought about the changes.

Friday’s UNHRC vote was carried by a vote of 41 to 1, with 5 abstentions. Only the United States voted against the motion, with India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Paraguay and Macedonia abstaining. The UK voted with the European Union bloc of nations in favour. However, UK Ambassador to Geneva, Julian Braithwaite reflected British reservations over the resolution. He said, “[We] welcome the fact that Israel is conducting its own internal investigations into specific incidences … The UK would have preferred to see a text that gave more weight to Israel’s legitimate right to self defence and the threat she faces from militant groups operating from inside Gaza including Hamas.”

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the vote, saying, “The council that has hitherto adopted more decisions against Israel than against all other countries cannot call itself a human rights council.”