Israel Matzav

This could be Netanyahu's dumbest move yet

Just when you thought the Binyamin Netanyahu had run out of stupid things to do when he backed the release of more 'Palestinian' terrorists. Netanyahu has now decided that Israel is going to show up for its 'universal periodic review' at the 'human rights council.' You know - the one we skipped last year. This is from the first link.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made the decision to begin the reestablishment of ties with the council with less than 48 hours to go before Israel’s scheduled appearance for its Universal Periodic Review, according to Israeli sources.

Israel had initially failed to appear for its UPR in January and had been granted a number of extensions since then.

Tuesday’s prescheduled hearing was considered to be its last chance to participate in the process.

An Israeli delegation is leaving for Geneva to appear at the UNHRC for the review, the source said.

All UN member states, including those with poor human rights records such as Iran and Syria, have participated in the first round of UPRs.

Had Israel decided not to appear at the hearing, it would have become the first country to boycott the procedures.

Western countries were concerned that such a boycott by Israel could undermine the entire UPR process.

So why did Israel do this?

In negotiations with the UN and Western countries about its return, Israel focused on two central points. The first was Agenda Item 7, which mandates that member states debate Israeli human rights violations in the Palestinian territories at each session.

The second point was a request to be included in the group of UN Western nations that meets in Geneva. While it is part of that group in New York, it has not been included in the Geneva group, making it the only country excluded from regional groupings.

Israel expects that in the next few months it will be formally included in the group of Western nations that meets in Geneva, according to the source.

The issue of Agenda Item 7 is still under debate, but until the matter is resolved, Western countries have agreed not to address the council with that item, the source said.

Only when both issues have been resolved will Israel consider that full ties have been reestablished.

Not worth it. We ought to get out of the UN too. 

Labels: anti-Israel obsession, United Nations Human Rights Council, universal periodic review

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:58 AM