Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review – Israel – addendum (excerpts)

Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review*

Israel

Addendum

Views on conclusions and/or recommendations, voluntary commitments and replies presented by the State under review

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*The present document was not edited before being sent to United Nations translation services.

I. Methodology and consultation process

1. The State of Israel is deeply committed to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Following 18 months of suspension Israel appeared before the Council on October 29th, underwent its periodic review and effectively renewed its relations with the UNIIRC. As noted by Ambassador Eviatar Manor, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations Office in Geneva: “Israel made its decision because we respect UN resolutions, human rights in general and human rights mechanisms in particular.” Moving forward, we wish to turn the page and commence a new chapter with the UNIIRC, a chapter in which difficulties encountered in the past no longer arise, and where a positive and constructive dynamic to our relations can take shape.

2. In this vein we have carefully reviewed the 237 recommendations received and left to be examined by Israel during our second cycle UPR held on 29 October 2013, which were listed in the report of the Working Group on the UPR(A/HRC/25/15, para.136 hereinafter: the Working Group's Report).

3. All relevant Government Ministries were consulted during the process of drafting replies to all the observations and recommendations received. Working to incorporate the inclusive and participatory processes espoused in the goals of the UPR, we also made efforts to consider the views from civil society organizations at a meeting held on 19th February 2014, at the Minerva Center for Human Rights at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As a result of these consultations, we are pleased to report Israel has been able to adopt 105 recommendations, in whole or in part.

4. The present Addendum is structured in accordance with the themes used on Israel's National Report, submitted on 28 October 2013 (A/HRC/WG.6/17/ISR/1). When reviewing recommendations and observations, the State of Israel implemented the following methodology:

(a) Recommendations that fully enjoy the support of the State of Israel are those recommendations that are either already implemented or which underlying spirit is supported by the State. We recognize, realistically, that we may never fully accomplish what is described in the literal sense of the terms of the recommendation but we remain committed to making serious efforts towards achieving said goals.

(b) Recommendations that partially enjoy the support of the State of Israel are those recommendations with which we regard ourselves as partly compliant, or which are supported in principle, but where we nonetheless object to the suggestion that our current efforts are insufficient or fall short of good practice.

(c) Recommendations that do not enjoy our support are those recommendations that we cannot commit to implement at this stage for legal, policy, or other reasons. These also include recommendations made, which we categorically denounce, based on gross misrepresentation or perversion of facts.

5. Certain countries chose to include in their recommendations inaccurate assumptions, inflammatory rhetoric, and false or misleading factual claims, some of which run contrary to the spirit of the UPR. However, even in those cases, we tried to determine whether we could still support the general ideas at the root of such recommendations, while doing our best to ignore the politicized oratory.

6. Due to space constraints, this Addendum will not reiterate issues that have already been raised in Israel's National Report and therefore it is advised to review it in conjunction with the National Report.

7. As part of the consultations that led to the Working Group’s Report, the State of Israel immediately dismissed seven recommendations that contained the term “State of Palestine”. These recommendations were referenced in numbers 137.1-137.7 of the Working Group’s Report. In addition to these recommendations, Israel rejects three additional recommendations numbered 136.29, 136.118, and 136.156 which were raised by the so-called “State of Palestine”. While Israel welcomes an open dialogue with delegates of the Palestinian Authority on matters of human rights, we categorically oppose the designation of the Palestinian entity as a State. We recognize that such a designation is used in the United Nations following a Palestinian request and subsequent adoption of UN General Assembly resolution 67/19. However, Israel wishes to reiterate that any usage of the term “State of Palestine” by UN bodies does not imply the existence of a sovereign Palestinian State, nor recognition as such, and is without prejudice to the resolution of all outstanding issues through direct bilateral Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.’

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K. The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

52. The recommendations below relate to final status issues which are currently being negotiated by Israelis and Palestinians under the auspices of the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. As noted in Israel’s national report, Israel continues to seek an historic and comprehensive compromise with our Palestinian neighbors through direct negotiations conducted on the basis of mutual recognition, signed agreements and the cessation of violence and incitement.

53. Therefore the following recommendations do not enjoy Israel's support at this time: 136.108; 136.147; 136.153; 136.154; 136.155; 136.163; 136.164; 136.165; 136.166; 136.167; 136.168; 136.170; 136.171; 136.172 136.173; 136.174; 136.175 136.177; 136.179; 136.180 136.182; 136.183; 136.184; 136.185; 136.186; 136.187; 136.189; 136.190; 136.204; 136.206; 136.221; 136.222; 136.223; 136.224; 136.225; 136.231; 136.232; 136.233.

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