So-called “UN experts” warned on Friday that transfer of weapons or ammunition to Israel that would be used in Gaza is likely to violate international humanitarian law and must cease immediately.
The Special Rapporteurs of the Human Rights Council — the “experts” quoted by the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights — urged member states to “immediately halt arms transfers to Israel, including export licenses and military aid.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz slammed the call for an arms embargo on Israel in a statement posted Saturday night on the X social media platform.
The "Special Rapporteurs" of the @UNHumanRights Council published a report calling for an arms embargo on Israel. Since the October 7 massacre, the @UN has cooperated with Hamas terrorists and is trying to undermine Israel's right to defend itself and its citizens. Ignoring the… pic.twitter.com/FN6nhqbRHw
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) February 24, 2024
“The “Special Rapporteurs” of the @UNHumanRights Council published a report calling for an arms embargo on Israel. Since the October 7 massacre, the @UN has cooperated with Hamas terrorists and is trying to undermine Israel’s right to defend itself and its citizens,” Katz wrote.
“Ignoring the war crimes, sexual crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Hamas terrorists constitutes a stain that cannot be erased on the UN as an organization and personally on the UN Secretary-General @AntonioGuterres himself.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry emphasized the points in a somewhat longer statement.
Arms Embargo on Israel = Support for Hamas
“Israel is defending itself against the terrorists of Hamas, a murderous terror organization that calls for Israel’s destruction,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat wrote.
“On October 7th, Hamas massacred more than 1,200 people and committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and sexual crimes, as well as taking hostage more than 240 men, women and children, including babies and the elderly, of whom 134 are still being held hostage by that terrorist organization.
“Even in the face of the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Hamas terrorists, Israel has acted, and will continue to act, in accordance with international law.
“Calls for an arms embargo on Israel are actually calls of support for the Hamas terrorist organization. Calls to stop intelligence sharing are calls to prevent the hostages being brought home.
“The Special Rapporteurs of the Human Rights Council have proven their anti-Israel obsession and biased positions long before the October 7 massacre. Since then, their impartiality, which is expressed by ignoring Hamas’ war crimes and by legitimizing terrorism, has only intensified,” Haiat wrote in a post on the X social media platform.
UN Afterthought: Arms Transfers to Hamas Prohibited
The United States and Germany are the largest exporters of arms to Israel, and shipments to help the Jewish State defend itself have increased since October 7, 2023. Other military exporters include France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
The UN “experts” noted in what appeared to be an afterthought in the statement that “arms transfers to Hamas and other armed groups are also prohibited by international law, given their grave violations of international humanitarian law on 7 October 2023, including hostage-taking and subsequent indiscriminate rocket fire.”
A little “context” will be helpful in understanding how this latest UN-spawned insanity came about.
The current 47 members of the United Nations Human Rights Council include Algeria, China, Eritrea, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, Somalia, South Africa, and Sudan — none of whom are bastions of human rights — among others.
The Council membership is elected by the majority of members of the General Assembly of the United Nations through direct and secret ballot.
“The General Assembly takes into account the candidate States’ contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as their voluntary pledges and commitments in this regard,” according to the OHCHR website.
