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Israel Set to Boycott U.N. Rights Review Israel Boycotts U.N. Rights Review
(about 5 hours later)
GENEVA — Israel appeared likely on Tuesday to become the first country to boycott a United Nations review of its human rights practices, rejecting attempts by the United States and others to persuade it to participate. Israel’s mission to the United Nations informally notified the U.N. Human Rights Council earlier this month that it did not intend to take part in a hearing under the Council’s Universal Periodic Review, a process in which all 193 member states have previously participated. Israel has not clarified formally whether it will attend but its action triggered intense behind-the-scenes discussions to persuade it to reconsider and to determine the council’s response to the unprecedented situation that will arise if it does not. GENEVA — Israel became the first country to boycott a United Nations review of its human rights practices on Tuesday, shunning efforts by the United States and others to encourage its participation in a process in which all countries have hitherto taken part.
"We have encouraged the Israelis to come to the council and to tell their story and to present their own narrative of their own human rights situation," the United States ambassador to the council, Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, said last week. Israel did not appear at a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday when it was due to present a report as part of a Universal Periodic Review process under which all 193 member states submit every four years to a scrutiny of their human rights record.
Diplomats in Geneva believe the council will likely adopt a resolution giving the body’s president, Remigiusz Henczel of Poland, time to try to persuade Israel to take part in the review later this year. But they say but there have been differences between Islamic countries and other council members over how much time and latitude to allow. Efforts to persuade Israel to reconsider have been complicated by its recent elections and the process now under way to form a new coalition government. Israel’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva informally notified the Human Rights Council it did not intend to take part, triggering intense behind-the-scenes efforts to persuade Israel to reconsider and to determine the council’s response to the unprecedented situation that would arise if it did not.
“We have encouraged the Israelis to come to the council and to tell their story and to present their own narrative of their own human rights situation,” the American ambassador to the council, Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, said last week.
Diplomats in Geneva believe the council will likely adopt a resolution giving its president, Remigiusz Henczel of Poland, time to try to persuade Israel to take part in the review later this year. But they say but there have been differences between Islamic countries and other council members over how much time and latitude to allow. Efforts to persuade Israel to reconsider have been complicated by its recent elections and the process now under way to form a new coalition government.
Israel’s decision reflects its longstanding frustration with the council’s perceived anti-Israeli bias, diplomats said. Over half the resolutions passed by the council since it started work in 2006 have targeted Israel, which is also the only country to feature as a standing item on the council’s agenda.Israel’s decision reflects its longstanding frustration with the council’s perceived anti-Israeli bias, diplomats said. Over half the resolutions passed by the council since it started work in 2006 have targeted Israel, which is also the only country to feature as a standing item on the council’s agenda.
Despite these tensions, Israel, until last year, had preferred to work with the council and in December 2008 participated in the council’s review of its human rights record. Last May, however, Israel informed the council it had decided to disengage from what it called “a political tool and convenient platform, cynically used to advance certain political aims, to bash and demonize Israel.”Despite these tensions, Israel, until last year, had preferred to work with the council and in December 2008 participated in the council’s review of its human rights record. Last May, however, Israel informed the council it had decided to disengage from what it called “a political tool and convenient platform, cynically used to advance certain political aims, to bash and demonize Israel.”
Council members, however, are anxious to preserve the universal and collaborative characteristics of its review process which has provided a platform to scrutinize and discuss the situation of human rights in even the most closed and repressive regimes. Council members, however, are anxious to preserve the universal and collaborative characteristics of its review process, which has provided a platform to scrutinize and discuss the situation of human rights in even the most closed and repressive regimes.
"The United States is absolutely, fully behind the Universal Periodic Review and we do not want to see the mechanism in any way harmed," Ambassador Donahoe said in her comments. “The United States is absolutely, fully behind the Universal Periodic Review and we do not want to see the mechanism in any way harmed,” Ms. Donahoe said in her comments.