The illegal
Ulpana outpost, adjacent to the Beit El Jewish settlement. (AFP Photo / Gali
Tibbon)
Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/news/un-boycott-us-companies-israel-299/
A special rapporteur for the UN’s Human Rights Council
has called for a boycott on all companies involved with Israeli settlements
until they adhere to international rights standards. Israel and the US have
condemned the move.
In a report presented to the UN General Assembly,
American professor Richard Falk said that many US, European and Mexican
companies appeared to be violating international human rights and humanitarian
laws. The companies are allegedly exploiting Palestinian resources, helping
Israel construct illegal settlements and providing security for settlers.
Falk said the call for a boycott is an effort to take
infractions of international law seriously. He said the pace of Israeli settlement
building has accelerated and that Israel has ignored UN resolutions condemning
the practice, so “there is a sense that what the UN says doesn't count.”
Although Falk admitted that further investigations were
necessary to determine severity of the violations, the US and Israel were quick
to condemn the report, accusing the UN special rapporteur of bias against
Israel and calling for his removal.
US Ambassador Susan Rice stated, “Mr. Falk's
recommendations do nothing to further a peaceful settlement to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and indeed poison the environment for peace. His
continued service in the role of a UN Special Rapporteur is deeply regrettable
and only damages the credibility of the UN.”
Spokesperson for the Israeli Mission Karaen Peretz added
that, “Israel is deeply committed to advancing human rights and firmly
believes that this cause will be better served without Falk and his distasteful
sideshow. While he spends pages and pages attacking Israel, Falk fails to
mention even once the horrific human rights violations and ongoing terrorist
attacks by Hamas.”
The Anti-Defamation League urged UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon to rescind his preliminary endorsement of the report. Ki-moon has
previously said that settlement activity is illegal, and “runs contrary to
Israel's obligations under the Road Map and repeated Quartet calls for the
parties to refrain from provocations.”
Representatives from several countries in the UN General
Assembly – including Egypt and Iran – praised Falk's report as fair.
Richard Falk, an American professor emeritus of
international law at Princeton University, previously angered Israel by
comparing the country to Nazi Germany, and accusing it of crimes against
humanity for its treatment of Palestinians.
Since 2008, Israel has barred Falk from visiting the
Palestinian territories.
In July 2012, the UN Human Rights Council initiated a
probe into Jewish settlements. Israel responded by saying it would bar the
Council's experts from accessing the sites.
The vast majority of the international community
considers the settlements in the occupied territories to be illegal. The United
Nations has repeatedly upheld the view that Israel's construction of
settlements constitutes a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The International Court of Justice also said the
settlements were illegal. No foreign government actively supports Israel's
building of settlements.
Israel disputes the position of the
international community and the legal arguments deeming the settlements
illegal. The country cites its historical and biblical links to the West Bank,
saying the status of the settlements should be decided in peace negotiations.
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