UN Human Rights Council head: Israel and ‘Palestine’ violate human rights

Noting human rights abuses on the part of the PA and Hamas, the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights also criticized Israel. 

The UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, listed a number of human rights concerns with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Hamas terror organization while addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday. He also censured Israel.

Referring to the “State of Palestine,” and “(Hamas) authorities in Gaza,” al-Hussein expressed concern regarding “increased use of administrative and arbitrary detention, with increasing allegations of torture and ill-treatment in both the West Bank and Gaza against political opponents, journalists and activists.”

“In Gaza, courts continue to pronounce death sentences, and executions are carried out in violation of Palestinian policy,” he said.

Al-Hussein also castigated Israel, blaming the “Israeli occupation” of Judea and Samaria for “prolonged detention without trial of large numbers of detainees,” “pervasive discrimination” and the “accumulation of despair” among Palestinians.

Al-Hussein denounced further construction of Jewish housing units in Judea and Samaria. “Despite Security Council resolution 2334, the Israeli government has authorized over 5500 new settlement units in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since the beginning of the year,” he said.

He also condemned legislation recently passed by the Knesset that prevents the demolition of Jewish homes that are found ex-post facto by Israel’s High Court of Justice to have been built on private property.

“This amounts to the confiscation of private property and contravenes international law,” he charged, even though the bill mandates that the alleged owners be compensated for the property.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights slammed Israeli responses to the firing of “unguided rockets” by terrorist groups operating in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas.

“While I repeat my alarm over unguided rockets sporadically fired by Palestinian armed groups from populated areas toward civilian areas in Israel, which are violations of international humanitarian law, I am similarly concerned that Israeli responses often do not meet the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution,” he stated.

Last week, the United States warned the UN Human Rights Council to end its “obsession with Israel” or it may consider withdrawing from the organization.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News