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Last update - 00:00 16/06/2008
UN official who compared Israel to Nazis turns the spotlight on Palestinians
By Reuters
Tags: Nazi, United Nations, Israel 

GENEVA - The new United Nations special investigator on Israeli behavior in the Palestinian territories said on Monday he wanted clearance to track Palestinian violations of international law.

U.S. professor Richard Falk, barred from Israel after remarks comparing its forces' actions in Gaza to those of the Nazis in wartime Europe, put his proposal to a session of the UN's 47-member Human Rights Council (HRC).

In his first address to the body, Falk said he was asking it "to consider expanding [his] mandate to also encompass inquiry into Palestinian violations of international humanitarian law" - a change that Israel has sought.
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Israeli leaders, and some critics of their policies, argue that Palestinian attacks on civilian targets in Israel are in breach of global pacts and should be condemned.

But Falk made clear that his aim was to "insulate" the HRC - where decisions largely rest in the hands of a majority of Islamic and African states normally supported by China, Cuba and Russia - "from those who contend that its work is tainted by partisan politics."

He also said he did not want to investigate human rights violations by Palestinians inside Palestinian territories.

The two-year-old Council, which replaced a discredited predecessor, has held several sessions to condemn Israeli policy in the territories but has generally shielded Islamic and African countries from criticism.

It has also kept away from any criticism of China and Russia and abolished the post of special investigator for Cuba and Belarus, a Moscow ally described in the West as the last dictatorship in Europe.

The United States announced earlier this month that it was suspending participation in the Council, where it was an observer. European and some Latin American countries have also voiced concern at the direction the body is taking.

Falk, a Jew who is fiercely critical of what he describes as "pro-Israel" influence on U.S. foreign policies, told the Council his proposal was aimed at making his work "as effective as possible".

At present, the mandate allows him only to report on Israeli violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the territories.

This had allowed critics of the Council to complain about "the bias and one-sidedness of the approach taken," he said, adding these complaints had "considerable merit."

Falk - who argued last year that "genocidal tendencies" in Israeli policies could lead to a "Palestinian Holocaust" - said the criticisms made it possible to deflect attention from the substance of findings on Israeli violations.

Diplomats said it was likely that the Council would agree to the request from Falk, who pledged to take "an objective and impartial approach" to his work.

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      1.   What the Falk? 23:18  |  Michael 16/06/08
      2.   typical leftist maggot 23:21  |  joe Smith 16/06/08
      3.   Once a Jew, always a Jew who cannot be trusted 00:52  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 17/06/08
      4.   How Ironic? 01:12  |  Klaus 17/06/08
      5.   What "International Law"? 02:17  |  Mark Lincoln 17/06/08
      6.   KLAUS About time this Islamic/3rd World farce was exposed 02:48  |  PETER SM 17/06/08
      7.   To Darth Zaider (Ed) 03:40  |  Proud Jew 17/06/08
      8.   DARTH ZAIDER Looking at Arab crimes! An injustice to humanity!! 03:54  |  PETER SM 17/06/08
      9.   Peter SM & Proud Jew-this is a case of friendly fire 05:16  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 17/06/08
      10.   Gotta love that UN 05:57  |  Luther 17/06/08
      11.   Why pay attention to the UN at all? 06:33  |  Joe Sittizen 17/06/08
      12.   Real story is he`s prohibited from looking @Pal crimes all along! 07:23  |  JP 17/06/08
      13.   Ed Zaider 07:24  |  JP 17/06/08
      14.   #3 & #9 Your diatribe is geat but you overestimate 07:25  |  observer 17/06/08
      15.   Next, he will investigate if a triangle has 3 sides 07:28  |  Dan 17/06/08
      16.   #5 mark L finally CONFESSES that Israel has done NOTHING wrong 07:34  |  CK Tan 17/06/08
      17.   Why Falk around? 07:35  |  Dan 17/06/08
      18.   falk CONFESSES theSMOKESCREEN is to PROTECT Israel BASHERS 07:53  |  CK Tan 17/06/08
      19.   1000 Palestinian children killed by the occuping Jews 07:54  |  Nathalie Gerson 17/06/08
      20.   The Human Rights Council. 08:37  |  Jean Van Daem 17/06/08
      21.   dutch - where are you 08:49  |  Adrian de Klerk 17/06/08
      22.   re professor falk`s reputation 09:10  |  Sumayah 17/06/08
      23.   Mark Lincoln closer than he thinks to the truth 09:39  |  Joe Sittizen 17/06/08
      24.   Israel`s war crimes 10:39  |  Andrew Watson 17/06/08
      25.   NO WRONG IN MUSLIM LANDS 10:53  |  indrajaya 17/06/08
      26.   Falk needs to do research into the Holocaust 11:17  |  Nicole 17/06/08
      27.   HAGEE YESTERDAY, NOW RICHARD FALK 11:27  |  indrajaya 17/06/08
      28.   INDRAJAYA" No wrong" with-Religious persecution,public execution, 11:32  |  PETER SM 17/06/08
      29.   Andrew Watson 11:55  |  x-ray 17/06/08
      30.   ANDREW WATSON. ARAB war crimes!! 12:20  |  PETER SM 17/06/08
      31.   Falk is trying to fool Israel 14:12  |  Herbert Kaine 17/06/08
      32.   Falk is trying to fool Israel 14:12  |  Herbert Kaine 17/06/08
      33.   Why can`t he... 14:22  |  Motic 17/06/08
      34.   Thugs and kleptocrats 14:58  |  Brian 17/06/08
      35.   All democracies should follow US example and leave the "Council" 15:35  |  Freethinker 17/06/08
      36.   UN Should be Abolished 16:27  |  Concerned individual 17/06/08
      37.   Thanks for mr. Falk 17:02  |  John 17/06/08
      38.   When Radicals Rise to the Top 17:18  |  FOX 17/06/08
      39.   No Son, that is not Cream, Part II 17:27  |  FOX 17/06/08
      40.   The UN, United Nepotism 17:42  |  FOX 17/06/08
      41.   reading this article i come to the conclusion that hrc 17:48  |  scallywag 17/06/08
      42.   Indrajaya - Traditions and human rights 18:27  |  David Israel 17/06/08
      43.   To Nathslie Gerson # 19 - 1000 Palestinian children..... 18:29  |  Josephus 17/06/08
      44.   we never forget war crimes 18:29  |  bronstein 17/06/08
      45.   the unpleasant truth..... 18:38  |  ravi 17/06/08
      46.   HUMAN RIGHTS - 42 19:23  |  indrajaya 17/06/08
      47.   indrajaya 20:15  |  marbpl 17/06/08
      48.   #46 - real or fake indrajaya? 20:31  |  David Israel 17/06/08
      49.   david Israel # 42 Traditions, religious teachings and human r 20:43  |  American in NY 17/06/08
      50.   What a strange mandate. So much for human rights (?) 20:46  |  KUTW 17/06/08
      51.   Falk has no right to step on Israeli soil!!! If we are like the 20:48  |  Gabi 17/06/08
      52.   Yet, another UN official in a single day having difficulties with 20:49  |  Avirama 17/06/08
      53.   Mr.Falk, you are a brave man! 21:08  |  Dav 17/06/08
      54.   1000 Palestinian children killed by Nathalie Gerson 21:16  |  CM 17/06/08
      55.   Israel was right 21:25  |  KUTW 17/06/08
      56.   Terrorism according to Int`l law, by UN standards 21:29  |  KUTW 17/06/08
      57.   Focus on the victims to let the agressor off 22:02  |  Labhras 17/06/08
      58.   self loathing jew 22:10  |  english jew 17/06/08
      59.   indrajaya # 46 and you accuse the jews and infidels of being 23:31  |  terrornator 17/06/08
      60.   JP & Observer: thanks and some further thoughts 04:27  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 18/06/08
      61.   #19 Professor Falk should book Israel 08:13  |  Dutch 18/06/08
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