Israel furious as UN unveils Gaza probe team

english.ahram.org.eg...

Israel lashed out on Tuesday after the UN Human Rights Council named the man who will be running an inquiry into its Gaza offensive.

Israel's gov't lashed out? Didn't see that coming.

Canadian international lawyer William Schabas, who will head the commission, is widely regarded in Israel as being hostile to the Israeli state over reported calls to bring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the International Criminal Court.

"This commission's anti-Israeli conclusions have already been written, all it needs is a signature," railed foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor.

"For this commission the important thing is not human rights but the rights of terrorist organisations like Hamas," he told AFP.

Get out of here! Criticising Israel and investigating their actions means you're a Hamas supporter? Didn't see that coming.

But in a series of interviews with the Israeli media, Schabas defended himself against allegations of bias against Israel.

"I've frequently lectured in Israel, at universities in Israel, I'm a member of the editorial board of the Israel law review, I wouldn't do those things if I was anti-Israel," he told public radio.

He challenged Palmor's assertion that the commission's findings were a foregone conclusion.

"As far as I'm concerned they're not written at all, that's the whole point of an investigation," he told the radio.

"Many of the questions we have to examine will deal with very precise matters on which the generalities about the conflict don't provide any insight.

"When we look at specific incidents in which... civilians were killed during the conflict, there are issues about targeting, about proportionality, each one of these has to be examined specifically."

In a second interview with Israel's army radio, he said that he would also be looking into the actions of Palestinian militants.

"The mandate that the commission has been given doesn't specify this and I think a reasonable interpretation would be that mandate requires you to look at both sides," he said.

He said the commission's findings are to be published in March 2015.

Wait, so he's not anti Israel but intends on doing a proper investigation in which both parties will be subjected to inquiry? I did see that coming.

Israel has long had stormy relations with the UNHRC.

Go on...

In January 2012, it became the first country to refuse to attend a periodic review of its human rights record.

Get out of town, no way!?

And two months later, it cut all ties with the Geneva-based council after it announced an inquiry into how West Bank settlements may be infringing on Palestinians rights.

Israel has accused the UNHRC of routinely singling it out at its annual meetings, as well as passing a number of anti-Israel resolutions.

Totally saw that coming.

Remember, you are not allowed to speak ill of Israel, let alone investigate anything they do! Got it?!

52% of UK voters believe Israel acted disproportionately over Gaza – poll

Tuesday 12 August 2014

A majority of British voters believe Israel acted in a disproportionate manner during the recent Gaza conflict, according to the latest Guardian/ICM poll, which lends support to the arguments that persuaded Lady Warsi to resign from the government.

Amid hopes that the month-long conflict between Israel and Hamas could be ending as a ceasefire continued to hold, the poll also found greater opposition to Israel than to the Palestinians.

The poll found that 52% of voters believe Israel acted disproportionately when it responded to the firing of rockets by Hamas by launching air strikes against the Gaza Strip. It found that 19% thought Israel had acted proportionately while 29% of those polled did not know.

The findings will lend weight to the argument of Lady Warsi, who resigned last week as a senior Foreign Office minister after criticising David Cameron for his "morally indefensible" failure to describe the Israeli action as disproportionate...

.... ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1,002 adults aged 18+ on 8-10 August 2014. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

UK government to block arms exports to Israel if military action resumes

The British government will suspend some of its arms exports to Israel if hostilities resume in Gaza due to concerns that the British-made products could be used by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

The business department said a review of UK exports to Israel had identified the 12 licences for "components which could be part of equipment used by the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza". They include equipment for military radar, combat aircraft and tanks.

Awww.. poor wittle israel under investigation and whinging about it ..

Everyone knows israel will just ignore any actions by the u.n as it always does ..

Gaza hospitals, health facilities need urgent donor support: UN agency

12 August 2014 – Hospitals and health facilities in Gaza are in dire need of support from the international donor community, a senior representative of the United Nations health agency today said following a visit to the Gaza Strip and Ramallah to survey the infrastructure there.

“The level of damage to the health system in Gaza is considerable and requires urgent support from partners and donors,” said the UN World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for Eastern Mediterranean, Ala Alwan.

The visit comes two weeks after senior UN officials in the region said that weeks of intense fighting had left the medical services and facilities in the Gaza Strip “on the verge of collapse.”...

... Since the conflict began on 13 June, WHO estimates that 15 out of area’s 32 hospitals have been damaged, in addition to 18 primary health clinics and 29 ambulances.

In addition, at least five medical staff have been killed and many more injured, the UN agency said.

“WHO staff in Gaza and Ramallah have been working jointly with the Palestinian health authorities in an integrated way in responding to the immediate and urgent needs to support and sustain emergency health services in Gaza throughout the crisis,” Dr. Alwan said.

While the displacement numbers of people sheltering in schools and other facilities remains fluid, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported that 209,522 people were sheltering in 88 UNRWA schools in the area.

Dr. Alwan visited one school where more than 1000 people have taken refuge in extremely overcrowded conditions.

“I am particularly worried about the risk of water-borne and communicable disease in such settings where overcrowding, poor hygiene and lack of access to clean drinking water predispose to disease outbreaks,” he warned. “These risks have to be addressed immediately.”

UNRWA Director of Health, Akihiro Seita, who accompanied Dr. Alwan, stressed the health challenges: “While we do our best, we are deeply concerned about the health and hygiene situation in our very crowded shelters. Our efforts may be limited where the entire water, electricity and sewage systems are heavily damaged.”

Sound and fury signifying nothing. As usual any investigation will be nothing more than a paper tiger. Listen to the roar....... *meow*

a reply to: Swills
The UN never does a damn thing about Israel's atrocities. Why is this?

a reply to: ugmold

The UN is useless, but still, Israel's reactions are predictable.

Yes, Israel would far rather investigate itself and then declare they were justified or, on the rare occasion, admit they made a mistake.

SOP.

the UN Human Rights Council are clearly anti- semiitic troublemakers.

a reply to: ugmold

The UN is broken, and needs repair to function correctly. What is something that would fix it, and, allow it to do it's job?

a reply to: Not Authorized

A giant sinkhole in New York under one particular building? Perhaps that is not PC. Oh dear.

originally posted by: ugmold
a reply to: Swills
The UN never does a damn thing about Israel's atrocities. Why is this?

Because America tells the UN you are not going to do a thing about it.

a reply to: Swills

So..just out of curiosity what country is leading the investigation?

Is it like in the past: Putting Iraq (during Saddam's time) in charge of the UN council of human rights? lol

I can see it now: Palestinians (or Lebanon) are responsible for investigating abuses by Israel.

Yep! That is logical

originally posted by: ugmold
a reply to: Swills
The UN never does a damn thing about Israel's atrocities. Why is this?

Cause the UN never does anything about anything (bureaucracy+corruption) unless the US forces the issue. If the US does not force the UN to do something it just doesn't happen. Sad state of affairs.

a reply to: Swills
Wait a minute, the UN is anti semitic???



If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times.
The world now knows israel's game and the little terrorists are gonna get smacked sooner or later.

originally posted by: ugmold
a reply to: Swills
The UN never does a damn thing about Israel's atrocities. Why is this?

Fool me once ...

Egypt masses for an attack. Tells the UN (who's supposed to prevent this) ... "Get outta here. You don't wanna see what's coming next."

UN's actions speak louder than words ... as they pack up a make like trees.

Israel subsequently kicks Egypt's effin' ass (along with Jordan's, Syria's, and everyone else who was backing them). Surprise ... surprise!! And, take the Sinai as a prize. Does the UN ever show up to help? Heck no. They prolly hadn't even stopped heading for the hills.

The UN is staffed with politicians. Does anyone here trust politicians? Let me know if you do, so I can start openly mocking you.

Lessons learned:
Don't trust the UN to watch your back.
Don't test Israel's military capabilities.

a reply to: g146541

Call me crazy, but I have the opinion that if Israel was ever backed into the corner and if the world ever turned on them, they would use a nuke and call it self defense.

Good thread. Now we may know who Israel is going to try to bribe. I am sure that they won't bribe this guy, that would be stupid, it'll be someone else. Maybe this guy needs a kick ass stock tip to invest in. One that will make him very rich within a couple of years. Maybe his relatives and friends need some great jobs like Biden's kid got. Of course it will just be a coincidence. That stuff never happens.