Human Rights Council Adopts Universal Periodic Review Outcome of Israel – Press Release (Excerpts)

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The Human Rights Council in its midday meeting adopted the Universal Periodic Review outcomes of Israel, Lichtenstein, and Serbia.

Vojislav Šuc, President of the Human Rights Council, said Israel had informed him that it would not be present in the room for the consideration of the outcome of its Universal Periodic Review.  However, Israel had presented its position on recommendations in the addendum to the Working Group report.

In the ensuing discussion, a number of delegations called on Israeli forces in the occupied Palestinian territories to uphold human rights and humanitarian responsibilities.  States called for an end to Israel’s settlement policy.  At the same time, a number of States welcomed Israel’s cooperation during the Universal Periodic Review process.  Israel was urged to promote the rights of minority groups, including persons with disabilities and women from minority communities.

Speaking were Iran, Libya, Madagascar, Singapore, Venezuela, Botswana, Honduras, and Egypt.

Also taking the floor were the following non-governmental organizations: United Nations Watch; Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, (in a joint statement with Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights); World Jewish Congress; Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILF), (in a joint statement with Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling); International Fellowship of Reconciliation; Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man; Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture; CIVICUS – World Alliance for Citizen Participation; Association of World Citizens; Human Rights Watch.

The President of the Human Rights Council said that out of 240 recommendations, Israel had accepted 70 and noted 170.

The Council then adopted the Universal Periodic Review outcome of Israel.

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Consideration of Outcome of Universal Periodic Review of Israel

VOJISLAV ŠUC, President of the Human Rights Council, said Israel had informed him that it would not be present in the room for the consideration of its outcome of the Universal Periodic Review.  However, Israel had presented its position on recommendations in the addendum to the Working Group report.

Iran said the settlement and transfer of populations being perpetrated by Israel were war crimes.  Israel must comply with international human rights and humanitarian law.  Israel was proclaiming itself as the only democracy in the Middle East.  Still, the Human Rights Council continued witnessing a lack of cooperation from Israel that threatened the integrity of the Universal Periodic Review process.

Libya said Israeli occupation forces were violating human rights.  The occupation forces must respect human rights and seriously review Universal Periodic Review outcomes.  Libya reiterated its call for the Human Rights Council to ensure that Israel’s violations of human rights in Palestine were stopped.

Madagascar invited the Council to adopt the report submitted by Israel.

Singapore commended Israel for its constructive cooperation during the third cycle of its Universal Periodic Review.  Israel had accepted two recommendations made by Singapore on promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and on the rights of minority women.

Venezuela regretted the absence of Israel at the adoption of its report which showed its disregard for the Universal Periodic Review and United Nations resolutions, and also regretted the fact that Israel had ignored many recommendations to comply with international law.  Israel should recognize and respect the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, put an end to the illegal occupation of Palestine and the Syrian Golan, and comply with all its international obligations, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Botswana was pleased that Israel had accepted its recommendations to cooperate with human rights mechanisms and to undertake judicial reforms to ensure equal protection and treatment under the law, and that the children were not exposed to arbitrary arrest and detention.  Botswana wished Israel all success in the implementation of the accepted recommendations.

Honduras had recommended that Israel lift its reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and that it ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court.  Honduras urged Israel to establish a national human rights institution in line with the Paris Principles and explicitly include the right to non-discrimination in its fundamental law.

Egypt was still concerned about the grave human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, and its racist practices at various levels – social, political and judicial – and stressed the importance for Israel to put an end to such procedures and grant equality to all its citizens, in line with international law.  Egypt stressed the importance of putting an end to illegal settlement activities, and stopping the desecration of Islamic and Christian sites under the effective control of the Israeli Government.

United Nations Watch said that the Universal Periodic Review process upheld the Council’s promise to be guided by impartiality in the promotion of human rights.  This was the opposite of what occurred during discussions under the Council’s item 7.  Better measures were needed to protect Israelis of Ethiopian descent.  Arab-Israeli employees must see increased representation in the nation’s civil service.

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, in a joint statement with Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, said Israel was failing to implement recommendations it had accepted related to freedom of movement and on the prevention of use of excessive force.  Israel’s refusal to commit to such recommendations demonstrated an entrenched lack of political will to abide by its international obligations.

World Jewish Congress commended Israel for having adopted 93 recommendations.  Combatting hate was at the core of the organization’s goals and Israel shared that same commitment.  Israel was urged to protect the rights of all minorities.  The celebration of diversity in Israel was unique in the region.  Israel was encouraged to build on commitments to freedom of religion.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILF), in a joint statement with Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling, said Israel had shown a lack of support for commitments to the rights of women in Gaza.  Practices of evictions and night raids continued.  Israel must create enabling environments that would allow civil society organizations working on gender issues to work freely.  Israel, as an occupying power, must comply fully with its international obligations.

International Fellowship of Reconciliation was deeply disturbed that Israel continued to imprison conscientious objectors and that there was no civilian oversight or consistency in the exceptions granted by the Israeli military with regards to the military service.  This violation of human rights of Israeli citizens should not be overlooked – again – in the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review.

Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man said it was troubling that Israel could not accept recommendation made by Switzerland to invite the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders for a visit.  Out of 240 recommendations, Israel noted nearly two thirds, most of which related to the human rights of Palestinians and the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, amongst which only eight out of 101 had been fully supported.  It was regrettable that Israel’s engagement with the Universal Periodic Review process was “once again disingenuous”.

Khiam Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture said that Israel had disregarded most recommendations received and had promulgated a number of laws against Palestinians, including on forced detention of children.  The suffering of the people of Gaza under the siege for over a decade demanded the accountability of Israel.

CIVICUS – World Alliance for Citizen Participation called upon Israel to stop using excessive and lethal force during protests, noting that recently, in the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces had used snipers, plastic coated steel bullets, explosive bullets, and gas grenades fired from drones in a calculated attempt to kill, maim and inflict serious bodily harm on Palestinians.  Since 20 March, Israeli forces had killed 127 Palestinians and injured an estimated 14,000.

Association of World Citizens said that Israel had a policy of racial discrimination against all Arab Israelis.  How could Israel’s partial commitment to the recommendations be interpreted when it forced Palestinians to leave their homes?  Israel’s policies continued and were aggressive in attacking symbols of worship.

Human Rights Watch stated that Israel had further cemented a differential system of treatment towards the Palestinians.  Systematic human rights violations included unlawful killings of civilians, including hundreds of children.  The authorities had shrunk the space for activists defending fundamental freedoms.  The Palestinians were subjected to forced displacement and limited movement, and Israel’s commitment to promote and protect human rights were empty words.

The President informed that out of 240 recommendations, Israel had accepted 70 and noted the rest.

The Council then adopted the Universal Periodic Review outcome of Israel.