What's New

Resources updated between Monday, March 20, 2017 and Sunday, March 26, 2017

March 25, 2017

A meeting of the 2017 session of Commission on the Status of Women

An Israeli-sponsored UN resolution – the first to focus on the subject of eliminating sexual harassment in the workplace - was unanimously adopted by the UN's top women's rights body, the Commission on the Status of Women. Following its adoption on March 25, 2017, Iran and Arab nations took the opportunity to accuse Israel of sexually harassing Palestinians, as well as everything from being a serial killer to apartheid.

Just two hours later, the same UN body adopted only one resolution condemning any state anywhere for violating the rights of women: Israel for violating the rights of Palestinian women.

The highly inflammatory remarks from Iran included accusations of Israel being an apartheid regime, of openly practicing racism, of cold-blooded killing, and even of being a serial killer. Iran's own
The representative of Oman, speaking on behalf of the "Arab Group," focused his remarks on accusing Israel of violence and sexual harassment of Palestinian and Arab women and children. Oman, which also values a woman's testimony as half that of a man, has
no law against sexual harassment or spousal rape. Forced marriage and female genital mutilation are common.

In the Iranian representative's words:

"This resolution reminds the Persian saying that if one of the foundations of the house was rotten, the master got busy fixing its design, style, and curb appeal. Israel, the last apartheid regime in the world presented a resolution that is riddled with hypocrisy.

By putting toward this resolution, Israel, the only regime in the world that openly practices racism, seeks to ride the wave towards international legitimacy. A dreadfully regressive regime pretends to be progressive.

As millions of civilians, women, children, people with disability and elderly people are being taken hostage by Israel, this attempt to sponsor combating sexual harassment at workplace looks utterly hypocritical and preposterous.

As Israel continues to grossly and systematically breach international law, including humanitarian and human rights law in Palestine, nothing but widespread human suffering has been inflicted to the civilians. The long persistent illegal and brutal occupation continues and causes so much anguish to the Palestinian people.
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Israel has never stopped to distract attention from its inherent cruelty.
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The world will always remember that Israel in the 21st century continues to grab and occupy other's lands, destruct their homes, burn the owners alive while cold bloodily kill injured in daylight in front of camera lenses.
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Before lecturing the world on sexual harassment of women at workplace, Israel must release women and children whose only crime is resisting occupation. Close the biggest prison of the world that continues to suffer millions of women and children, stop demolition of their homes, quit grabbing lands and farm that belong to these women, recognize the right to life, stop destabilizing legitimate governments, which has proven to be disastrous for the lives of millions of women and children. Stop sending its terrorists and assailants to other countries whose dirty jobs would only leave more widowed women and orphaned children.

We believe that presentation of this resolution only amounts to witnessing a serial killer preaches on the sanctity of life..."

In the words of the representative of Oman, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group:

"Israel is committing violence and not only sexual harassment against women and Palestinian children, be it in prisons or in all the occupied territories. Israel is violating international law, humanitarian law and United Nations resolutions, especially resolution 2334. We then wonder how can Israel dare to submit such a resolution?

Mr. Chairman, I have remind you of the fact that sexual harassment is committed by the strong against the weak, and Israel finds itself in a situation of the strong, and Arab women in the position of the weak..."

More hate speech with a UN mic: Israel accused of SEXUALLY HARASSING PALESTINIANS, BEING A SERIAL KILLER Development

March 24, 2017

According to the U.N.'s top human rights body, Israel is the worst human rights violator in the world today. That's the result of the latest session of the UN Human Rights Council which wrapped up in Geneva on Friday by adopting five times more resolutions condemning Israel than any other country on earth.

President Trump's administration is currently a member of this reprehensible body. To borrow Elie Wiesel's counsel to President Reagan not to pay his respects at a German graveyard containing Nazi SS remains: "That place, Mr. President, is not your place."

The Bush administration refused to join the Council when it was created in 2006.

On March 31, 2009, President Obama – fully aware of its entrenched anti-Israel and anti-Jewish bias – made jumping on board one of his very first foreign policy moves. Moreover, in an unscrupulous attempt to control his successor, the former President obtained yet another three-year term for the United States on the Council that began on January 1, 2017.

If President Trump were to choose a swift departure from the Council as one of his very first foreign policy moves, it would demonstrate a principled reset of American values and priorities on the world stage. March 31, 2017, the anniversary of Obama's decision, would be an auspicious date to make that point.

The reasons for leaving are many. Here are a few:

The Council plays a leading role in the demonization and delegitimization of the Jewish state by the United Nations.

In its history, the Council has condemned Israel more often than any other of the 192 UN states. Comparative totals after this session's pogrom tell the story: Israel – 78 resolutions and decisions, Syria – 29, North Korea – 9, and Iran – 6. For Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China, there's nothing at all.

Think of it this way: 500,000 dead in Syria, forced starvation and mass torture in North Korea, systematic and lethal oppression in Iran, gender apartheid in Saudi Arabia, and an elementary lack of basic freedoms affecting over a billion in Russia and China.

But at the U.N. Human Rights Council, little democratic Israel is the problem.

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley rightly objected to a recent UN report charging Israel with "apartheid." But the malicious slur of "apartheid Israel" is a staple of the Council's fixed agenda, which dedicates time for hate-speech and incitement at every session, and transmits it around the world via a U.N. webcast.

Contrary to rule of law 101, the Council has an investigator on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a license only to report on Israel.

This week, "expert" Michael Lynk presented a report praising one Manal Tamimi as a "human rights defender."

In the last six months alone, her twitter feed features: "God-chosen-Baby-burning #Israeli scum..." "Nazi Zionists force[s] shot a girl," and a caricature of Satan beseeching Netanyahu for lessons on evil.

The "Human Rights" Council is now the principal U.N. engine of "BDS" – the campaign to boycott, divest and sanction Israel. Economic strangulation is Plan B for Israel's enemies, war and terrorism having so far failed to rid the world of a Jewish state. The Council has sponsored the creation of a blacklist of companies around the world 'directly or indirectly' doing business with Israeli settlements – in effect, Israel period.

Obama's routine was to vacate the U.S. seat temporarily during the Israel-bashing agenda item, make a speech about "unacceptable" Israel-bias, vote against the anti-Israel resolutions, and then pay for their implementation in the name of some greater good. The Trump administration should not be working from the same playbook.

Make no mistake: there is no middle ground. Staying on the Council means American taxpayers will pay for the production of a blacklist of American companies doing business with Israel. The State Department representative told the Council Friday that it will not provide information for the blacklist. But, of course, the U.N. will simply get what it wants from the Palestinian entourage.

With predictable regularity, the subject of U.N. reform bubbles to the surface of this toxic environment. The ploy needs to be challenged head on.

The only body that can change the Human Rights Council is the one that created it – the General Assembly, where the U.S. has one vote and Islamic states have 56.

As Freedom House attests, less than half the members of the General Assembly are fully free democracies. The majority aren't going to create a club they can't join.

It is understandable why Council members like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Cuba and China want to masquerade as human rights authorities. But why would the United States want to legitimize this charade by standing beside them?

While America fiddles, the world's rogues are reaching into your pockets in the name of their entitlements. This week the Council adopted resolutions inserting itself into "foreign investment," "capital inflows," "foreign trade," and "financial markets," while demanding more "technology transfer," and a "development-oriented outcome of trade negotiations of the World Trade Organization."

Sure, we voted against – and we lost. In fact, of the 15 resolutions this session adopted by vote, the United States lost 12 of them. Setting ourselves up for target practice is not a foreign policy in which Americans can take pride.

Mr. President, the UN "Human Rights" Council, is not your place.

Say what?! UN Human Rights Council declares Israel world's No. 1 human rights violator Article

An Israeli mother mourns over the body of her 13-year-old daughter Hallel Yaffa, who was stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist in her home.

The UN's top body for women's rights has concluded its latest session having condemned only one country – Israel. The condemnation came in the form of a resolution, entitled "Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women," adopted by the UN Commission on the Status of Women, made up of 45 UN Member States. The resolution lacks any mention of "the situation of" Palestinian women subject to strict Hamas rules in public or even honor killings. The only mention of Palestinian men or authorities is to commend "the achievements of the Palestinian Government."

Notably, the resolution condemns "acts of terror" by "extremist Israeli settlers," but makes no expression of concern or outrage at frequent terror attacks against Israeli women and girls.

The United States – although not currently a member of the Commission – was allowed to make a speech in which it objected to the biased resolution and expressed concern over the unaddressed violations of women's rights by Hamas.

Anti-Israel UN Resolution on Palestinian Women's Rights Adopted Development

March 23, 2017

A meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 and China (G77) at UN headquarters in New York (File photo)

At a meeting of the UN's top women's rights body, 133 of 193 UN member states have backed a move that would condemn only one country in the world for violating women's rights - Israel. The action comes in the form of a resolution of the UN's Commission on the Status of Women, introduced by Ecuador on March 22, 2017. Ecuador is acting on behalf of a coalition of developing countries known as the "Group of 77 and China." No resolution or expression of concern has been, or will be, introduced on any other country. Nothing on the mass enslavement of Yazidi women by ISIS or the repression of women in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia. The resolution is scheduled for a vote on March 24, 2017, where it is expected to be overwhelmingly endorsed.

In Ecuador's words:

"On behalf of the Group of 77 and China, it gives me pleasure to introduce the draft resolution E/CN.6/2017/L.3, entitled 'The Situation of and Assistance to Palestinian Women." As has been emphasized in the Secretary-General's report, the dire humanitarian and socioeconomic crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, have significantly affected Palestinian women in the most detrimental way. The continuing difficulties faced by Palestinian women, and the need to provide them with assistance in overcoming the obstacles to their development and advancement are essential to this draft resolution.

The draft resolution contains 20 preamble paragraphs and 9 operative paragraphs. These paragraphs are identical to the ones contained in last year's resolution, with only 2 technical changes regarding the date in the early part of preamble and the last OP on the Secretary-General to report to the next CSW session.

The resolution includes paragraphs that express grave concern about the disastrous situation of Palestinian women in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, with regard to the advancement, self-reliance and integration into the development in their society. Further, the draft includes a paragraph urging the international community to continue to provide urgently needed assistance and services, bearing in mind the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and national priorities to alleviate the humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and their families, in particular, for addressing the humanitarian and socioeconomic crisis, and the immense reconstruction and recovery needs in the Gaza Strip and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions.

The draft also, inter alia, requests the Commission of the Status of Women to continue to monitor and to take action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, the Beijing Platform for Action, and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly. It also requests the Secretary-General of the United Nations to continue to review the situation to assist the Palestinian women by all available means and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women in its 62nd session a report on progress made on the implementation of the present resolution.

Mr. Chair, we look forward to the adoption of this draft resolution by consensus, with a strong hope that it will contribute to the alleviation of the hardships that Palestinian women are confronted with, and will also contribute towards the overall advancement and empowerment.

Thank you."

Two-thirds of UN Member States Sponsor Anti-Israel Resolution On Women's Rights, Ignore Women in All Other States Development

A representative from the U.S. Mission to the UN in Geneva addressing the Human Rights Council, October 21, 2016

Is it Time for the US to Resign from the Human Rights Council? Article

A police officer places flowers and a photo of murdered police officer Keith Palmer on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament

London Terror Attack: ISIS Claims Responsibility for Deadly Rampage Outside Parliament Building Document

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing, March 21, 2017. (AFP)

Netanyahu: I hope Beijing's 'Superb' Relations with Israel will Affect its UN Votes Article

March 22, 2017

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on a TV screen addressing the UN Human Rights Council, February 27, 2017

Democracies Must Stand Up To End U.N. Farce Article

Micah Avni and his father, the late Richard Lakin

Bereaved Son Slams UN Speech By Palestinian Terrorist's Father Article

UN Headquarters

U.S. $$$$ for UN Rapes Article

Anne Bayefsky speaking at the UN Human Rights Council, March 20, 2017

Israel Accused of 'Apartheid' at the UN Human Rights Council, Touro Institute Pushes Back Article

Bayefsky: Resign from UN "Human Rights" Council

Bayefsky on UN "Human Rights" Council & "Apartheid Israel" Slur

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, December 16, 2016

New Zealand Foreign Minister Went Rogue in Backing UN Resolution, Opposition Charges Article

Richard Falk (File photo)

In Britain, Protesters Shut the Falk Up Article

US Senators Marco Rubio and James Lankford tour the City of David

As Israel Opposes UNESCO Jerusalem Resolution, Ambassadors Visit Capital Article

March 21, 2017

The United Nations General Assembly Hall

Trump Must Take on the United Nations Article

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (File photo)

UN Under Ban Ki-moon Targeted Wall Street Journal, Fox & Inner City Press Article

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley (File photo)

Team Trump is Already Kicking Butt at the United Nations Article

March 20, 2017