UN member states have criticized Israel for failing to abide by human rights laws and UN resolutions during a heated Human Rights Council session; some described it as an “apartheid” entity.
The scolding in the Swiss city on Tuesday came as Israel was undergoing its third Universal Periodic Review, a UN-led process meant to assess the human rights record of each state and make recommendations for improvement, Al Jazeera reported.
South Africa took the lead in criticizing Tel Aviv, saying it was the world’s only “apartheid” entity.
“We remain deeply concerned at the denial of the right of self-determination to the Palestinian people, in the absence of which no other human right can be exercised or enjoyed.”
The delegate was echoing the recommendations of several member states that called, above all, for an end of the 50-year-long occupation of Palestinian territory.
A number of UN member states expressed concern over what they saw as the deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied territories and Israel’s blatant violations of UN resolutions.
“We call upon Israel to comply with international laws by immediately ending its 50-year colonial occupation and apartheid policies against the Palestinian people and dismantle the illegal wall and the related infrastructures located inside the occupied Palestinian territories and compensate Palestinians for all of the losses incurred due to their presence,” the Palestinian delegate said, adding that Palestinian “will not be discouraged”.
Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Russia, Malaysia and other countries called on Israel to halt the occupation and annexation of Palestinian land, the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements, the forcible transfer of Palestinians and the demolition of Palestinian homes and structures.
For their part, the UK, Finland and Austria among other countries expressed concern over the arbitrary detention of children.
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