(Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times) Ambassador Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations at press briefing with reporters at UN world headquarters in New York Oct. 27, 2022 ahead of the release of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory report to the General Assembly. Ambassador Erdan displays picture of five-year-old Israeli boy he claimed was killed in a rocket attack last year from Gaza committed by terror organization Hamas.
By Gary Raynaldo – DIPLOMATIC TIMES
UNITED NATIONS – NEW YORK – The Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan Thursday sharply criticized a scathing human rights council’s report of the Jewish state’s occupation of Palestinian territory as “a viscous compilation of lies.” Ambassador Erdan addressed reporters during a press conference ahead of the release of the report to the UN General Assembly. The latest report of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel concluded the “Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful under international law due to its permanence and the Israeli Government’s de-facto annexation policies.”
“Recent statements by the Secretary-General and numerous Member States have clearly indicated that any attempt at unilateral annexation of a State’s territory by another State is a violation of international law and is null and void; 143 member States including Israel last week, voted in favour of a General Assembly resolution reaffirming this. Unless universally applied, including to the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, this core principle of the United Nations Charter will become meaningless”.
-said Navi Pillay, the Commission Chair.
The Israeli Ambassador to the UN accused the COI of condemning and criticizing Israel, while choosing to but terror designated organization Hamas’ attacks on Israeli civilians. Ambassador Erdan displayed a picture of five-year-old Israeli boy he claimed was killed in a rocket attack last year from Gaza committed by terror organization Hamas.
“This is not the first time that the UN has been used as a weapon to condemn Israel and sadly it won’t be the last. But this time the UN and its bodies have reached a new low. The Commission of Inquiry report being presented is a one-sided terror whitewashing and morally bankrupt document that does nothing remotely productive for the Palestinians or the region. In fact, it only makes matters worse. It shows the terrorists of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the true oppressors of the Palestinian people, that terror pays off. The report fails to even mention Hamas, the designated terror organization, for their thousands of indiscriminately fired weapons.
-Ambassador Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations
DIPLOMATIC TIMES VIDEO / Ambassador Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations at press briefing with reporters at UN world headquarters in New York Oct. 27, 2022.
“I Wonder how the commissioners will be able to look into the eyes of parents whose son’s murder (by Hamas) they knowingly choose to ignore.” -Israeli Ambassador to the UN
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times) Ambassador Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations at press briefing with reporters at UN world headquarters in New York Oct. 27, 2022)
The three-member Commission is pushing for the issue to be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s highest court.
On 27 May 2021, the Human Rights Council held a special session on “the Grave Human Rights Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” and adopted the resolution “Ensuring respect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel”. The UN Commission reviewed the policies and actions employed by successive governments of Israel to maintain the occupation, and annex parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times) Ambassador Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations at press briefing with reporters at UN world headquarters in New York Oct. 27, 2022)
