UN Group Hits Israel

The United Nations Human Rights Commission voted 22-2 today in favor of a resolution that condemned Israel’s practices in the occupied Arab territories and urged other countries not to recognize changes made by Israel in those territories. The resolution also called on Israel to release all Arab prisoners detained as a result of what it called their struggle for self-determination.

Only the United States and Canada voted against the resolution. There were eight abstentions: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Uruguay, France, West Germany, Ivory Coast and Portugal. The Ivory Coast representative stated that he would not vote for an anti-Israel resolution at a time when Israeli-Egyptian peace talks have resumed at Camp David. It was the first time in many years that the West African country has obtained in such a resolution.

During the course of the debate, Israel was charged with the expulsion of Arabs from the territories, torture and other mistreatment of detainees, confiscation of their property, demolition of their homes and illegal exploitation of natural resources in the territories. Israel’s representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Joel Barromi, who was an observer at the Human Rights Commission’s deliberations, said after the voting:

“Israel is a country administered under the rule of law. Whenever the law is transgressed in Israel proper and in the territories, the culprits are punished. The instances of infraction of regulations or laws by public officers are happily rare. However, if a complaint proves to be founded, penal action is taken. This happened two days ago in respect of six members of the Israeli civil guard accused of unbecoming behavior toward an Arab family.