Israel's UN envoy tears up Human Rights Council report


UN Ambassador to Israel Gilad Erdan in Jerusalem on 11 December 2018 [AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images]

October 30, 2021 

Israeli Envoy to the United Nations (UN) Gilad Erdan on Friday literally tore to pieces the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)'s annual report while on the podium of the UN General Assembly, claiming it was biassed against Israel, news agencies reported.

The UNHRC held a special hearing at the General Assembly while its president, Michelle Bachelet, presented the annual report to all member states.

In the report, the findings of an investigative committee founded after the Israeli occupation's offensive on Gaza that killed 260 Palestinians, including 67 children, 40 women, and 16 elderly, were presented.

Several whole families were killed in the offensive, including senior doctor Ayman Abu Al-Ouf and his family.

The report condemned and criticised Israel for the brutal attacks.

In the report, the UNHRC condemned:

The construction of the wall being built by Israel, the occupying power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and its associated regime are contrary to international law.

The UNHRC reaffirmed: "The principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, and deeply concerned at the fragmentation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, through settlement activities and other measures."

It also said it was: "Gravely concerned that long-standing impunity for international law violations has allowed for the recurrence of grave violations without consequence."

The report stressed the importance of ending Israel's impunity in order to: "Ensure justice and access to an effective remedy, deter further violations, protect civilians and promote peace."




Israeli forces hang the body of a Palestinian man from a bulldozer – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

It also expressed its: "Grave concern at reports of serious human rights violations and grave breaches of international humanitarian law, including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem."

It deplored: "The continuing and negative consequences of the conflicts in and around the Gaza Strip, including all casualties, particularly among Palestinian civilians, including children, and ongoing violations of international law."

The report called for: "Full respect for international humanitarian and human rights law and for the principles of legality, distinction, precaution, and proportionality."

It also said that it was: "Gravely concerned about the dire humanitarian, socioeconomic and security situation in the Gaza Strip, including that resulting from the prolonged closures and severe economic and movement restrictions that in effect amount to a blockade, and about the short and longterm detrimental impact of this situation, and the widespread destruction and continued impediments to the reconstruction process by Israel, the occupying Power, on the human rights situation."

Erdan could not bear to accept this disclosure of Israeli crimes and tore a copy of the report into pieces.

"The Human Rights Council attacked and condemned Israel in 95 resolutions compared to 142 resolutions against the rest of the world," Erdan expressed. "This distorted and one-sided report's place is in the dustbin of anti-Semitism," he claimed.