Five Latin American countries voted against Israel at UN without condemning Hamas terrorism

Five Latin American countries voted in favor of the creation of an international commission with a broad mandate to investigate alleged human rights violations before and during the latest conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, it stopped a week ago.

The decision to create the commission was taken at an urgent session of the Human rights council (CDH), convened at the request of more than 60 countries and at the beginning of which the United Nations High Commissioner, Michelle bachelet, he said that missiles launched by Israel to defend itself against attacks by the Palestinian terrorist group may constitute war crimes.

The resolution received 24 votes in favor, 9 against and 14 countries abstained. Five Latin American countries voted for: Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Mexico Yes Venezuela. None of them condemned the Hamas attacks.

Europe did not have a unique position, Germany Yes Austria rejected resolution saying it focused too much on blaming Israel and did not sufficiently cover the responsibilities of terrorist group Hamas (who has de facto ruled Gaza since 2007), which has fired more than 4,000 rockets against Israel in the eleven days of the conflict, while France preferred to abstain.

Bachelet said for his part that the Israelis are protected by a system of interception and rocket diversion known as the “An iron dome” and one of the best armed forces on the planet, while Palestinian civilians have no defense.

For his part, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called the decision “shameful”, saying it was “another example of the blatant anti-Israel obsession with the UN Human Rights Council ”.

The resolution “Described as the ‘culprit’ a democracy which acts legitimately to protect its citizens from thousands of indiscriminate rocket attacks. This parody mocks international law and encourages terrorists around the world, ”the Prime Minister said.

Mandate

The resolution approved today instructs the new commission – whose members are to be appointed by the chair of the HRC, currently in charge of Fiji – that Investigate what has happened not since May 6, the date considered to be the start of the clashes, but since April 13. That day, according to the newspaper The New York Times, a group of Israeli policemen entered the mosque in Al Aqsa of Jerusalem to cut the loudspeaker cables which transmitted the prayers from the minarets and thus prevent the sound from obscuring that of a commemorative speech which was to be delivered at the Western Wall, the holiest place in Judaism and located in foot It is also known as the Esplanade of the Mosques, in the same complex.

Later on protests against the evictions of Palestinian families living in East Jerusalem, which the Israeli security forces tried to disperse.

The resolution instructs the commission to be created to record and retain any information it finds in the event that it could serve as evidence in possible legal proceedings, to identify those responsible for the violations and to recommend measures that could serve to do justice.

More, calls on states to refrain from transferring arms where there is a risk that it could be used to commit serious human rights violations.

Context of other committees

Is This is not the first time that the CHR has created a commission to investigate the consequences of an escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine.

The HRC decided in March 2018 urgently dispatch a mission to investigate alleged human rights violations in the context of “Great walk back” in Gaza.

Four years ago, the CDH itself set up a commission of inquiry into the around the Israeli military operation “Protective Edge”.

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