SWC Denounces “Dishonest and Deceptive” UN Report Blaming Only Israel for Palestinian Conflict

June 7, 2022

The Simon Wiesenthal Center denounced the first ever report by a new United Nations Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry which blames only Israel for its continuing conflict with Palestinians. In fact, the 18-page report by the UN Human Rights Council’s "Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem and Israel admits that its “findings and recommendations relevant to the underlying root causes were overwhelmingly directed towards Israel.”

“This one-sided commission, which blames Israel for the unending cycle of violence on the West Bank, essentially gives the Palestinians a moral blank check to continue its violent and terrorist attacks against Israelis,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, SWC Founder and CEO and Rabbi Abraham Cooper, SWC Associate Dean and Director Global Social Action.

Dr. Shimon Samuels, SWC’s Director for International Relations said it is unprecedented for the Human Rights Council to establish a commission of inquiry with no end date. “This demonstrates a clear prejudice against Israel, and is unacceptable.”  He noted the COI was established following Hamas’ rocket attacks against Israel in May 2021 and the ensuing days of conflict.  

“There are so many things wrong with this dishonest and deceptive report produced by a biased and untrustworthy COI, it’s hard to know where to begin,” said Eric J. Greenberg, SWC’s Director of United Nations Relations and Strategic Partnerships. “This is a well-funded, well-staffed witch hunt led by haters of the only Jewish State.  We call on nations of good will to reject this report and move to overturn Resolution S-30/1, which created this untrustworthy anti-Israel commission,” Greenberg said.   

The Wiesenthal Center also noted that:
 
•        The COI is empowered to investigate all “root causes” of the conflict – meaning it can probe any incident from any era. This is also unprecedented in UN history.
•        The three COI judges, particularly chair Navanethem Pillay, all have a history of anti-Israel bias, which conflicts with UN bylaws demanding fairness. Ironically, she is also a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

Rabbi Hier and Cooper said it was also important for governments and the media looking for root causes to note the stated goal of the PLO.  They quoted from the Covenant from the Palestine Liberation Organization, in 1964, 3 years before the 1967 6-Day War during which Israel reunited Jerusalem and captured the West Bank and Gaza.

Article 17. The Partitioning of Palestine in 1947 and the establishment of Israel are illegal and false regardless of the loss of time, because they were contrary to the wish of the Palestine people and its natural right to its homeland, and in violation of the basic principles embodied in the charter of the United Nations, foremost among which is the right to self-determination

“Whatever changes cosmetic or otherwise have been made to the charter in the ensuing decades, this declaration should be viewed as the baseline for violent attacks against Israel and a mindset  that Israel is an “illegal” state  and the goal of seeking its destruction,” they said.

For further information contact the Center’s Communications department at pressinquiries@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).