Some background. In the May 16, 2021 post (Israel at War - Again), I discussed this past May's conflict between Israel and Hamas. Following that conflict, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation sought a resolution from the UN Human Rights Council (as inaptly named an entity as is imaginable) that would establish a permanent commission on human rights violations in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
At the behest of Pakistan and the Palestinian Authority, the HRC complied. With a vote of 24 to 9, with 14 abstentions, they voted to seek funding from the UN General Assembly for that permanent commission. It would be the first such permanent commission.
The resolution included language to "...urgently establish an ongoing, independent, international commission of inquiry to investigate, in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations and abuses of human rights law leading up (to) and since 13 April 2021." The very wording of the resolution makes clear that the Palestinians are "occupied," giving rise to a presumption that Israel is at fault.
The resolution invests the commission with the power to "...investigate all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, racial or religious identity." The "protraction of conflict?" I'll be sure to look for the detailed discussion of all the wars started by the Arabs, in the hopes of wiping Israel off the map. I'll look for a discussion of the thousands upon thousands of rockets and missiles launched into Israel by the Palestinians. And I'm sure the commission will discuss the repeated promises by the Palestinians to control all the land from the (Jordan) river to the (Mediterranean) sea. I just won't hold my breath.
Not surprisingly, the UN General Assembly voted in December to fund this permanent commission, with a vote of 125 to 8, with 34 abstentions. Voting "no" was the US, Israel and Hungary, along with 5 small southeast Pacific island nations. Sadly, many Western democracies could not find the courage to vote "no," but abstained instead. Those countries include Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and The United Kingdom. Voting in favor: France and Norway, among others.
France is said to have the largest Muslim population in the Western world, with 5,720,000 Muslims constituting 8.8% of the country's population. Germany's Muslim population sits at 4,750,000, equal to 5.7% of their population. The UK has a Muslim population of 4,130,000, or 6.3% of the country's population. Norway's Muslim population of 142,800 is enough to equal 5.7% of their population. The Netherlands' Muslim population is 880,000, which is 5.1% of the country's population. By way of comparison, the US has 3,450,000 Muslims; but given the size of our country they constitute only 1.1% of the population.
So why are these Western societies siding against another Western style democracy? No doubt their votes reflect an ongoing antisemitism that has infected Europe for centuries. Combine that with an increasing influence of the growing Muslim population in Europe, and it is clear that Israel can only rely on a precious few friends in the world.
Ironically, on the same day as the UN General Assembly vote, the Palestinian Atlas Center for Studies and Research released a new poll. As reported in the Jewish Journal, "45% of respondents hold the Palestinian Authority responsible for the perennial crises in the Gaza strip, with 25% saying they hold Hamas responsible. Only 15% of Palestinians blamed Israel." Perhaps, as in many countries, the people are wiser than their leaders.
Recall that President Trump took the US out of the UNHRC, acknowledging their unrelenting anti-Israel bias. As with everything else, Biden reversed that policy, asserting that the US can have greater influence by remaining a member. Influence? The US could not even get the major European powers to oppose this anti-Israel resolution, nor persuade countries such as France and Norway to at least abstain. Some influence. I question the point of the UN's existence.
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