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JERUSALEM, Israel — Israel announced Monday it has cut ties with the U.N. Commission on Human Rights.
The council, prompted by the Palestinian Authority, was set to investigate the impact of Jewish communities in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) on Palestinian rights.
In a 36-1 vote, with 10 abstentions, the council decided it would send a fact-finding commission to Israel.
Now Israel said it will not allow any Human Rights Council members, including Commissioner Navi Pillay, or any commission to enter Israel or the West Bank.
Neither will Israel make any appearances before the council or take phone calls from its members.
"As the Human Rights Council in Geneva systematically ignores our views, our positions and our concerns, and does not really cooperate with us on issues of consequence, we have decided as of today not to cooperate with the Human Rights Council," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said.
"We have decided to sever all working ties with the body and will remain so until further notice," he said.
The U.S. has criticized the Human Rights Council in the past for its strongly anti-Israel stance.
Current members include Cuba, China, Libya, and Saudi Arabia.
Islamic Human Rights Commission on Israel.
IHRC is outraged at Israel’s decision to withdraw from the United Nations Universal Periodic Review. This blatant disregard of the United Nations Human Rights Council should not go unchallenged. The United Nations is a universally recognised body and we cannot have one rule for Israel and another rule for everyone else.
This is the first time in history that a state has suspended cooperation with the Human Rights council. IHRC finds it extremely hypocritical of Israel to suspend their cooperation at this point.Israel has made 129 recommendations to 36 States from all regional groups. Yet, when it is now time for Israel’s turn to be the subject of the review it wishes not to face up to the same scrutiny as it has afforded others.
Chair of IHRC, Massoud Shadjareh said, “If Israel will not allow for itself to be accountable to the review process, then there should be severe consequences; it sets a very dangerous precedent. Sanctions should be placed against Israel for their rogue acts and Israel’s blatant human rights abuses need to be exposed.”
Notes to editors
For media enquiries email media@ihrc.org or call 020 89044222
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a new and unique mechanism of the Human Rights Council (HRC) aiming at improving the human rights situation on the ground of each of the 193 United Nations (UN) Member States. More information can be found here http://www.upr-info.org/-UPR-P
