UN's 'New' Human Rights Council's Anti-Israel Resolution Confirms That ‘Reform Is DOA'

June 30, 2006

UN's 'NEW' HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL'S ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTION CONFIRMS THAT ‘REFORM IS DOA'

The Simon Wiesenthal Center blasted today's vote by the United Nation's newly re-configured Human Rights Council that singled out Israel in an emergency resolution during its first-ever ‘emergency session’.

The resolution that was passed is an "unbalanced effort to single out and focus on Israel alone," said Ambassador Warren W Tichenor, the US Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva.

The resolution, put forward by the Organization of the Islamic Conference composed of Arab and Muslim states, was adopted by the 47-strong Council with 29 states in favor with five abstentions.  The European Union members opposed the resolution along with Canada.

"Talk of reform at the U.N's flagship address for human rights is ‘dead upon arrival,’” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Wiesenthal Center, adding, “All the promises of change apparently do not extend when it comes to Israel-bashing.”

“Today’s vote confirms that Arab and Muslim countries have enshrined the UN’s cynical business-as-usual vis-à-vis human rights, meaning that instead of taking action on genocide in Darfur and a score of other global human rights abuses, only Israel will be singled out at every meeting of the HRC,” said Rabbi Cooper. “Such outrageous actions only serve to further erode confidence that the United Nations will ever be able to play a role in bringing about a peaceful Middle East,” Cooper concluded.

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 and the Council of Europe.

For more information, please contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-553-9036.