Opinion:
UN Resolutions meant to hound certain nations:
Sri Lanka-Israel comparison
by Shenali D Waduge
One of the complaints made by Israel over the years is that there is
a disproportionate number of Resolutions against its country. What
Israel does not acknowledge is that none of these Resolutions get
anywhere because almost always the US uses its veto power or forces
watering down of allegations.
Thus the Resolutions end up a mere joke and just a number used
statistically to place on record that UN records Resolutions against
even Israel. 62% of all Resolutions have been against Israel. You will
not find the US, UK or EU going after Israel as it is currently doing
against Sri Lanka where the country continues to challenge US and Allies
whose military interventions have left countries in disarray to match
Sri Lanka's post-conflict progress on all fronts.
The point being drawn is that the UN-UNHRC is not the equal treatment
provider that it promised to be and officials of the UN-UNHRC are not
impartial/unbiased either. The most important next question is what
Member Nations propose to do to change the current status quo leading to
dangerous proportions unless checked.
No aid denial
In the eyes of Israel, the UN is anti-Israel and they use the
Resolutions against Israel at the UN-UNHRC to prove so. Yet, inspite of
piling Resolutions there is never any threats to Israel, no sanctions,
no development aid denial, no asset freeze threats nothing that would
happen to another country with similar number of Resolutions had they
not had the influence that Israel gets from US and Allies.
This is where the difference lies. Inspite of the Resolutions against
Israel, when the US envoy Samantha Power says ‘I will never give up’ the
fight to get Israel on UN Security Council simply proves the biased
nature and double standards.
Even if the UN/UNHRC passes thousand more Resolutions against Israel
they will either be vetoed by the US and one can be assured that no Ban
ki Moon or Pillay would ever go hounding Israel and she would never dare
to propose her team to be placed in Israel to monitor violations. This
is the difference.
Compare that to the manner UNHRC head is behaving against Sri Lanka.
A good breakdown of her statements over the years for even minor
incidents taking place in Sri Lanka will show the vindictive attitude
she has towards Sri Lanka. We have repeatedly proved this and put it
down to a very clear conflict of interest. She is a Tamil and thus
emotionally, genetically and ethnically aligned to the aspiration for
the Tamils to have a homeland of their own.
We seriously question whether it should be in Sri Lanka where only 2
million Tamils live as against Tamil Nadu India, where 72 million of the
world's 76 million Tamil live and from where the separation bid first
started.
Pilly's oral reports and submissions tying up non-Resolution related
issues is to use them as a podium to enter Sri Lanka where she proposes
to create the plebiscite that the US is plotting alongside other Allies
to carve for themselves an area in Sri Lanka with Tamil Nadu eventually
linked. The icing of HR issues being used is nothing but a smokescreen
and a camouflage.
'Losing patience'
You would expect that Israel with over 400 Resolutions against it,
the UNHRC head Navi Pillay would call for an international investigation
or even refer these cases to the ICC as she has done in the case of
Libya and Syria and calling for a UNHRC led investigation in the case of
Sri Lanka just because US say's it is ‘losing patience’ inspite of
having no complaints to make in the manner Sri Lanka has dealt with the
post-terrorism era.
The 13th amendment and other aspects that tend to pile upon the
Resolutions made against Sri Lanka and through the Pillay reports have
nothing whatsoever to do with the initial Resolution thereby clearly
setting up a non-disclosed understanding between Western States and
Pillay.
Who will investigate these allegations and even if done will they
ever get anywhere for the allegations that come from smaller less
powerful nations appear to lead nowhere. So what equality is the UN or
UNHRC actually preaching when in practice the exact opposite happens?
Discrimination
Returning to the comparison on Israel and Sri Lanka vis a vis the
Resolution factor what is being argued is that there is a very clear
imbalance in approach, a very discriminatory attitude by UN officials
and the UN system itself.
We were made to understand whether nations large or small would be
treated EQUALLY as given in the UN Charter itself. It does not seem to
be happening.
*If equal treatment is not been given what can a member do except to
make such discrimination publicly known and what can other members do?
They must themselves evaluate the realism behind the allegations made
and resolve to stand up for smaller nations that are being hounded by
larger ones using the UN as a tool and UN officials as puppets. Member
nations must immediately wonder whether even their nation is likely to
become an eventual target.
2010, five Resolutions were brought against Israel at the UNHRC.
In 2013, 21 Resolutions were brought against Israel at the UN:
1. Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan. Votes: 31 in favour, 15
abstained (including UK, Japan). US voted against.
2. The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. Votes:
45 in favour, no abstentions. US voted against.
3. Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.
Votes: 46 in favour, no abstentions. US voted against.
4. The grave human rights violations by Israel in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
Votes: 31 in favour, seven abstentions, nine against (Belgium,
France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and United States of America).
5. Follow-up to the report of the United Nations Independent
International Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict
Votes: 29 in favour, 11 abstentions - six against (Hungary, Italy,
Netherlands, Slovakia, Ukraine, and United States of America).
US Vetoes of Resolutions Against Israel, 1972-1990:
1. “...condemned Israel's attack against Southern against southern
Lebanon and Syria...”
2. “...affirmed the rights of the Palestinian people to
self-determination, statehood and equal protections...”
3. “...condemned Israel's air strikes and attacks in southern Lebanon
and its murder of innocent civilians...”
4. “...called for self-determination of Palestinian people...”
5. “...deplored Israel's altering of the status of Jerusalem, which
is recognized as an international city by most world nations and the
United Nations...”
6. “...affirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people...”
7. “...endorsed self-determination for the Palestinian people...”
8. “...*demanded* Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights...”
9. “...condemned Israel's mistreatment of Palestinians in the
occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and its refusal to abide by the Geneva
convention protocols of civilized nations...”
10. “...condemned an Israeli soldier who shot eleven Moslem
worshippers at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount near Al-Aqsa Mosque in
the Old City of Jerusalem...”
11. “...urged sanctions against Israel if it did not withdraw from
its invasion of Lebanon...”
12. “...urged sanctions against Israel if it did not withdraw from
its invasion of Beirut...”
13. “...urged cutoff of economic aid to Israel if it refused to
withdraw from its occupation of Lebanon...”
14. “...condemned continued Israeli settlements in occupied
territories in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, denouncing them as an
obstacle to peace...”
15. “...deplores Israel's brutal massacre of Arabs in Lebanon and
urges its withdrawal...”
16. “...condemned Israeli brutality in southern Lebanon and denounced
the Israeli ‘Iron Fist’ policy of repression...”
17. “...denounced Israel's violation of human rights in the occupied
territories...”
18. “...deplored Israel's violence in southern Lebanon...”
19. “...deplored Israel's activities in occupied Arab East Jerusalem
that threatened the sanctity of Muslim holy sites...”
20. “...condemned Israel's hijacking of a Libyan passenger
airplane...”
21. “...deplored Israel's attacks against Lebanon and its measures
and practices against the civilian population of Lebanon...”
22. “...called on Israel to abandon its policies against the
Palestinian intifada that violated the rights of occupied Palestinians,
to abide by the Fourth Geneva Conventions, and to formalize a leading
role for the United Nations in future peace negotiations...”
23. “...urged Israel to accept back deported Palestinians, condemned
Israel's shooting of civilians, called on Israel to uphold the Fourth
Geneva Convention, and called for a peace settlement under UN
auspices...”
24. “...condemned Israel's... incursion into Lebanon...”
25. “...deplored Israel's... commando raids on Lebanon...”
26. “...deplored Israel's repression of the Palestinian intifada and
called on Israel to respect the human rights of the Palestinians...”
27. “...deplored Israel's violation of the human rights of the
Palestinians...”
28. “...demanded that Israel return property confiscated from
Palestinians during a tax protest and allow a fact-finding mission to
observe Israel's crackdown on the Palestinian intifada...”
29. “...called for a fact-finding mission on abuses against
Palestinians in Israeli-occupied lands...”
(From Findley's Deliberate Deceptions, pages 192 - 194)
UN Resolutions Against Israel, 1955-1992.
Note that Israel is in VIOLATION of many of these Resolutions.
1. Resolution 106: “...condemns Israel for Gaza raid”
2. Resolution 111: “...condemns Israel for raid on Syria that killed
fifty-six people”
3. Resolution 127: “...recommends Israel suspend its ‘no-man's zone’
in Jerusalem”
4. Resolution 162: “...urges Israel to comply with UN decisions”
5. Resolution 171: “...determines flagrant violations by Israel in its
attack on Syria”
6. Resolution 228: “...censures Israel for its attack on Samu in the
west Bank, then under Jordanian control”
7. Resolution 237: “...urges Israel to allow return of new 1967
Palestinian refugees”
8. Resolution 248: “...condemns Israel for its massive attack on
Karameh in Jordan”
9. Resolution 250: “...calls on Israel to refrain from holding
military parade in Jerusalem”
10. Resolution 251: “...deeply deplores Israeli military parade in
Jerusalem in defiance of Resolution 250”
11. Resolution 252: “...declares invalid Israel's acts to unify
Jerusalem as Jewish capital”
12. Resolution 256: “...condemns Israeli raids on Jordan as flagrant
violation”
13. Resolution 259: “...deplores Israel's refusal to accept UN mission
to probe occupation”
14. Resolution 262: “...condemns Israel for attack on Beirut airport”
15. Resolution 265: “...condemns Israel for air attacks for Salt in
Jordan”
16. Resolution 267: “...censures Israel for administrative acts to
change the status of Jerusalem”
17. Resolution 270: “...condemns Israel for air attacks on villages in
southern Lebanon”
18. Resolution 271: “...condemns Israel's failure to obey UN resolutions
on Jerusalem”
19. Resolution 279: “...*demands* withdrawal of Israeli forces from
Lebanon”
20. Resolution 280: “...condemns Israeli's attacks against Lebanon”
21. Resolution 285: “...*demands* immediate Israeli withdrawal form
Lebanon”
22. Resolution 298: “...deplores Israel's changing of the status of
Jerusalem”
23. Resolution 313: “...*demands* that Israel stop attacks against
Lebanon”
24. Resolution 316: “...condemns Israel for repeated attacks on
Lebanon”
25. Resolution 317: “...deplores Israel's refusal to release Arabs
abducted in Lebanon”
26. Resolution 332: “...condemns Israel's repeated attacks against
Lebanon”
27. Resolution 337: “...condemns Israel for violating Lebanon's
sovereignty”
28. Resolution 347: “...condemns Israeli attacks on Lebanon”
29. Resolution 425: “...calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from
Lebanon”
30. Resolution 427: “...calls on Israel to complete its withdrawal
from Lebanon”
31. Resolution 444: “...deplores Israel's lack of cooperation with UN
peacekeeping forces”
32. Resolution 446: “...determines that Israeli settlements are a
serious obstruction to peace and calls on Israel to abide by the Fourth
Geneva Convention”
33. Resolution 450: “...calls on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon”
34. Resolution 452: “...calls on Israel to cease building settlements in
occupied territories”
35. Resolution 465: “...deplores Israel's settlements and asks all
member states not to assist Israel's settlements program”
36. Resolution 467: “...strongly deplores Israel's military
intervention in Lebanon”
37. Resolution 468: “...calls on Israel to rescind illegal expulsions
of two Palestinian mayors and a judge and to facilitate their return”
38. Resolution 469: “...strongly deplores Israel's failure to observe
the council's order not to deport Palestinians”
39. Resolution 471: “...expresses deep concern at Israel's failure to
abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention”
40. Resolution 476: “...reiterates that Israel's claims to Jerusalem
are null and void”
41. Resolution 478: “...censures (Israel) in the strongest terms for its
claim to Jerusalem in its ‘Basic Law'”
42. Resolution 484: “...declares it imperative that Israel re-admit
two deported Palestinian mayors”
43. Resolution 487: “...strongly condemns Israel for its attack on
Iraq's nuclear facility”
44. Resolution 497: “...decides that Israel's annexation of Syria's
Golan Heights is null and void and *demands* that Israel rescind its
decision forthwith”
45. Resolution 498: “...calls on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon”
46. Resolution 501: “...calls on Israel to stop attacks against Lebanon
and withdraw its troops”
47. Resolution 509: “...*demands* that Israel withdraw its forces
forthwith and unconditionally from Lebanon”
48. Resolution 515: “...demands that Israel lift its siege of Beirut
and allow food supplies to be brought in”
49. Resolution 517: “...censures Israel for failing to obey UN
resolutions and *demands* that Israel withdraw its forces from Lebanon”
50. Resolution 518: “...demands that Israel cooperate fully with UN
forces in Lebanon”
51. Resolution 520: “...condemns Israel's attack into West Beirut”
52. Resolution 573: “...condemns Israel vigorously for bombing Tunisia
in attack on PLO headquarters”
53. Resolution 587: “...takes note of previous calls on Israel to
withdraw its forces from Lebanon and urges all parties to withdraw”
54. Resolution 592: “...strongly deplores the killing of Palestinian
students at Bir Zeit University by Israeli troops”
55. Resolution 605: “...strongly deplores Israel's policies and
practices denying the human rights of Palestinians”
56. Resolution 607: “...calls on Israel not to deport Palestinians
and strongly requests it to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention”
57. Resolution 608: “...deeply regrets that Israel has defied the
United Nations and deported Palestinian civilians”
58. Resolution 636: “...deeply regrets Israeli deportation of
Palestinian civilians”
59. Resolution 641: “...deplores Israel's continuing deportation of
Palestinians”
60. Resolution 672: “...condemns Israel for violence against
Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount”
61. Resolution 673: “...deplores Israel's refusal to cooperate with
the United Nations”
62. Resolution 681: “...deplores Israel's resumption of the
deportation of Palestinians”
63. Resolution 694: “...deplores Israel's deportation of Palestinians
and calls on it to ensure their safe and immediate return”
64. Resolution 726: “...strongly condemns Israel's deportation of
Palestinians”
65. Resolution 799: “...strongly condemns Israel's deportation of 413
Palestinians and calls for their immediate return.”
(From Findley's 'Deliberate Deceptions', pages 188 - 192) |