Free Republic

Israel has been accepted to join the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Maariv reported Thursday. The international body infamous for condemning the Jewish state will now add it to the list of 9 Western states. The move is a complete about-face for the UNHRC, which in its 5-year history has condemned Israel over 46 times—more than any other nation in the world. The UNHRC was also the body that appointed the Goldstone Commission’s investigation of “Operation Cast Lead” in the December 2008–January 2009 Gaza War, eventually concluding that Israel had committed war crimes. While Judge Richard Goldstone rescinded parts...

UNITED NATIONS – China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam are among the nations running unopposed for seats on the Human Rights Council, the U.N.'s highest rights watchdog body, a prospect that has upset independent human rights groups. The General Assembly on Tuesday will elect 14 new members to the 47-seat, Geneva-based council, which can shine a spotlight of publicity and censure on rights abuses by adopting resolutions — when it chooses to do so. It also has dozens of special monitors watching problem countries and major issues ranging from executions to drone strikes. New York-based Human Rights Watch pointed out...

Germany’s foreign minister Guido Westerwelle has warned Israel to face a periodic United Nations Human Rights Council (U.N.H.R.C.) Periodic Review—or face severe diplomatic consequences, according to a Haaretz report (Sunday). … In a personal letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Westerwelle warned that Israel’s failure to attend the periodic evaluation—a review infamous for its anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian measures—would alienate Israel’s allies and cause “severe diplomatic damage”, Haaretz reports. …