You would think they'd get the message.

For the third time in its five-month existence, the United Nations' newly formed Human Rights Council on Wednesday held a special session that ended with a condemnation of Israel.

By a 32-8 vote, the HRC meeting in Geneva passed a resolution expressing grave concern "at the continued violation by the occupying power, Israel, of the human rights of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory."

The measure called the Israeli military's recent anti-terror operations in the Gaza Strip "a collective punishment of the civilians." Six members of the 47-nation council abstained and one was absent.

The resolution voiced particular concern about an incident last week, when 18 Palestinians were killed as a result of what Israel called "errant" fire.

Israel said it was targeting terrorist rocket-launching sites when artillery accidentally hit several buildings on the outskirts of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.

Which is about as likely as it is that the twin towers collapsed from burning jet fuel on September 11th.

Wednesday's meeting was the third special session called by the HRC since it was established to replace the 60-year-old U.N. Commission on Human Rights, an organization which critics said had been discredited by the presence and voting conduct of rights-violating nations and by a disproportionate focus on Israel.

The council held its first special session last July, when it condemned Israeli military operations in Gaza. A second special session, the following month, dealt with Israel's war against Hizballah in Lebanon.

Just like a little EVEREADY bunny - israel just keeps on killing.

In both instances, the same 11 nations voted against the resolutions - Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, United Kingdom, and Ukraine.

In the third special session vote on Wednesday, France, Japan and Ukraine chose to abstain, along with Guatemala, South Korea and Switzerland.

* * *

Apart from its three special sessions, the HRC has also held two regular sessions since its formation. At those two meetings, in June and September, the body considered a handful of resolutions but passed only one that condemned a specific country - Israel.

During the council's first annual report to the U.N. General Assembly last Friday, a U.S. diplomat called the new body a "disappointment."

Miriam Hughes, deputy U.S. representative to the U.N.'s economic and social council, said the HRC "has failed to reach agreement to address egregious violations of human rights in places such as Sudan" - a reference to the conflict in Darfur, which has cost more than 200,000 lives since 2003.

"Some states seem to view the council as just another arena in which to play political games - and not as a vehicle for advancing the cause of human rights or for giving redress to the victims of abuse," Hughes said.

Always attempting to divert attention from their own crimes by pointing to someone else's.

Give it up, israel - you can't win.

Submitted by qrswave on Thu, 2006-11-16 13:03

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