Brussels, 27/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 26 March, the Belgian and Austrian ambassadors were summoned to the Israeli foreign affairs office, after their two countries had voted at the United Nations Council for Human Rights, on Thursday 22 March, in favour of a resolution to set up an initial international mission of enquiry on the effects of Israeli settlements on civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. The director general of the Europe department of the Israeli foreign office has expressed his country's opposition and dissatisfaction with the action taken by these two countries. Other EU member states abstained during the vote on the resolution, which was adopted by a large majority.
On Monday, in response to this vote, the Israeli foreign office also announced that it had decided to sever all contact with the Council of Human Rights, of which it is not a part but where it can express its position, subject to certain conditions.
EU's regret. On Tuesday, the EU expressed its “regret” with Israel's decision to disengage. A spokesperson for Catherine Ashton, the EU high representative, underlined that “the EU considers that all states should cooperate with the United Nations Council for Human Rights and its mechanisms”. The spokesman's office also said that the United Nations body should be able to tackle all issues and situations on human rights because it is a place for open debate and it is important to have different views represented there.
France abstained during the vote but also regretted Israel's announcement. France repeated its condemnation of continued settlements, and the foreign affairs minister explained: “It is undeniable that this policy has an impact on a daily basis on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories. The fact-finding mission aims to assess this impact.” France added: “It would be in Israel's interest to cooperate with this new mechanism, if only to express its own analysis of the situation”.
On Thursday, following the vote for this resolution, the Israeli prime minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, criticised the “hypocrisy” of the Council and the Israeli foreign affairs office described the Council's decision as surreal. The minister for foreign affairs, Avigdor Lieberman, stated: “This hypocritical body has nothing to do with human rights. It is partisanship and lack of objectivism are obvious and there is no reason for us to cooperate with it.” (CG/transl.fl)