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Last update - 21:32 04/12/2008
UN forum: Israel systematically violating Palestinian human rights
By Reuters
Tags: United Nations, Human rights 

Israel drew fire regarding its human rights record on Thursday at a United Nations forum where its neighbors accused it of committing systematic violations against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Delegations from Syria, Egypt and Iran raised concerns about Israel's security barrier, its detentions of young Palestinians, and what they called "illegal" settlements during the regular review by the UN Human Rights Council.

Western countries, including Australia, Britain, Canada, France and Germany, urged Israel to lift its blockade on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip which they said had led to a worsening humanitarian situation.
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Iran's Ambassador Ali Reza Moaiyeri said the debate could not sufficiently address the "gross and systematic human rights violations committed against the Palestinians".

These included targeted killings, torture, the demolition of houses, and "racist and discriminatory practices", he said.

But Aharon Leshno Yaar, Israel's Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, told the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session there was a "certain sense of pride at the culture of human rights that we have managed to develop in the six short decades since the founding of our state".

"Our record is not perfect but the advantage of being a democracy is that multiple mechanisms exist for critical dialogue and oversight. The UPR is one such mechanism," he said.

The 47-member UN Council has held three special sessions looking at Israel's treatment of the Palestinians since the body was created in 2006, and Israel has allowed eight UN human rights investigators to visit in the past three years.

Malkiel Blass, deputy attorney general in Israel's justice ministry, told the Geneva session that Israel faced continuous security threats and had to build its security fence and wall after "waves of suicide bombings" began in 2002.

Israeli interrogations of security suspects are subjected to "scrupulous oversight" and torture is prohibited, said Daniel Taub, senior deputy legal adviser in the foreign ministry.

"The Gaza Strip has become a hotbed for terrorists preparing and launching attacks," Taub said, adding that more than 200 mortar shells were fired on Israel from Gaza in the past week.

Israel said it opened its border crossings with the Gaza Strip on Thursday for the first time in a week to allow in limited amounts of food, medical supplies and fuel.

It is also allowing foreign journalists to enter for the first time since Nov. 4, when an armed raid into the coastal enclave triggered a surge in cross-border rocket attacks by
Palestinian militants.

Egypt's Ambassador Hesham Badr said the Council was not going out of its way to "target Israel", rather that Israel had chosen to "ignore its commitments" under international law.

Israel's main ally, the United States, did not speak during the three-and-a-half hour debate which continues on Tuesday.


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      1.   Israeli response 20:40  |  Donald A. Rosenberg 04/12/08
      2.   Jews do not have human rights 20:55  |  judith 04/12/08
      3.   CANADA DID WHAT? 21:12  |  JOHN ISH ISHMAEL 04/12/08
      4.   The UN Forum 21:15  |  Un Sucks 04/12/08
      5.   UN is a joke 21:31  |  vik 04/12/08
      6.   The inmates are running the asylum 21:40  |  IW 04/12/08
      7.   Israeli Response - Allegations NOT Denied 21:47  |  Mark of Lewiston 04/12/08
      8.   Australia 21:48  |  bruce 04/12/08
      9.   UN group established solely to attack Israel 22:16  |  Arie 04/12/08
      10.   UN HIMAN RIGHTS 22:18  |  Brant 04/12/08
      11.   No Human Rights Violations Here 22:37  |  Ed 04/12/08
      12.   The truth about human rights from Amnesty Intl 22:50  |  JoeSittizen 04/12/08
      13.   John Ismael: lying won’t bring sympathy to your cause 22:59  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 04/12/08
      14.   Shme on You! 23:15  |  23:15  |  HAim 04/12/08
      15.   #10 Brant, you do understand, don`t you? 23:29  |  Johnboy 04/12/08
      16.   UN Human Rights Comission,courtessy of drunkard Jan Eliasson,Swed 23:34  |  Absolute Sweden 04/12/08
      17.   Donald Rosenberg 23:42  |  Burt 04/12/08
      18.   Darth wants them dying before he`ll believe it... 23:45  |  BBSNews 04/12/08
      19.   How Long? 23:46  |  burt 04/12/08
      20.   The REAL truth from Amnesty about Gaza... 23:53  |  BBSNews 04/12/08
      21.   Hey Bruce I`m with you but.... 00:20  |  Peter Williams 05/12/08
      22.   #7- MoL jumps at pre-conceived notions 00:36  |  peter 05/12/08
      23.   No more buisness 00:39  |  Peter 05/12/08
      24.   #8, BRUCE on australia 01:02  |  VIPER 05/12/08
      25.   BS news 01:20  |  Moshe 05/12/08
      26.   Guess which Arab/Muslim country can appear 01:23  |  TOMY 05/12/08
      27.   Syria, Egypt and Iran lecture on Human rights.200 gays executed 01:59  |  PETER SM 05/12/08
      28.   It makes sense 02:00  |  Kumar 05/12/08
      29.   Just need to look at todays news to confirm 03:43  |  Judge 05/12/08
      30.   8,20 Aborigiansl are not disenfranchised 04:08  |  lydia 05/12/08
      31.   JOHNBOY" WHAT I "UNDERSTAND" 05:36  |  Brabt 05/12/08
      32.   #8 bruce points the finger at Someone Else. 06:15  |  Johnboy 05/12/08
      33.   Iran hangs homosexuals,a capital crime.Iran lectures Israel 08:18  |  PETER SM 05/12/08
      34.   Coptic Christians in Egypt Under Assault - Catholic Online.Egypt 08:30  |  PETER SM 05/12/08
      35.   The UN`s obsession with demonizing Israel By Jeff Jacoby 08:33  |  PETER SM 05/12/08
      36.   JOHNBOY.Harping on Israel covers up the endless humanrights abuse 09:23  |  PETER SM 05/12/08
      37.   MARK of Lewiston.You do not like it?Lecture the Pals on peace 09:27  |  PETER SM 05/12/08
      38.   Why not an impartial forum, but please not that crusade 10:23  |  Harvey 05/12/08
      39.   Council not going out of its way... 08:09  |  Puregoldj 06/12/08
      40.   #36 The point continues to elude PETER SM 08:11  |  Johnboy 06/12/08
      41.   Johnboy - So there you are 17:26  |  * BEN JABO 06/12/08
      42.   BEN-JABO, tisk tisk tisk 03:34  |  VIPER 07/12/08
      43.   #41 BEN JABO 05:59  |  Johnboy 07/12/08
      44.   #42 Johnboy - Munchhausen Syndrome is it? 08:05  |  *BEN JABO 08/12/08
      45.   #43 JOHNBOY - 08:08  |  *BEN JABO 08/12/08
      46.   #42 AS VIPER - My aplogies 08:14  |  * BEN JABO 08/12/08
      47.   #46, BEN-JABO, i do understand 02:13  |  VIPER 09/12/08
      48.   #47 AS VIPER - You still don`t understand 15:37  |  *BEN JABO 09/12/08
      49.   #46-2 AS VIPER 15:44  |  *BEN JABO 09/12/08
      50.   genocidio 14:03  |  manolo 28/12/08
      51.   violating human rights by Israel? 11:10  |  Marjo 20/01/09
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