With a resolution, the committee in Geneva calls for a stop to arms deliveries to Israel. However, there was no support for this from Germany – why?
The United Nations Human Rights Council has called for an end to arms sales to Israel. This is necessary “to prevent further violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations,” said a resolution adopted by the body in Geneva.
Germany voted against the text. It does not mention the Islamist Hamas, denies Israel the right to self-defense and contains prejudgments against Israel, argued German Ambassador Katharina Stasch. In total, six countries rejected the resolution.
How was the vote?
It was supported by 28 countries, including Belgium, Finland and Luxembourg. Thirteen countries abstained, including France and the Netherlands. Human Rights Council resolutions are requests; the board has no means of forcing its enforcement.
Stasch emphasized in a statement to the Human Rights Council that Israel must protect the Palestinian civilian population and allow aid deliveries in the fight against Hamas. These issues were also addressed in the resolution.
Israel’s Ambassador Meirav Eilon Shakhar strongly condemned the resolution, which makes no mention of the Hamas terror attack. “How many more dead Israelis do we need to condemn Hamas?” asked the diplomat at the Human Rights Council. The resolution does not contain a call for a ban on arms sales to Hamas. “A yes vote is a vote for Hamas,” she said.
In a statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry also criticized the fact that Hamas and its brutal crimes were not mentioned in the “anti-Israel resolution” on October 7th. She also ignores Iran’s arms deliveries to Hamas. The resolution also does not grant Israel the right to self-defense.
UN Human Rights Council calls for report on Israeli settlers
The United Nations Human Rights Council has also commissioned a report on violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers in Palestinian territories. An existing commission of experts should determine the identities of those settlers and settler groups who terrorize or intimidate the Palestinian civilian population, the panel called for.
The report should be available in just over a year. It should also shed light on whether and how Israel is taking action against legal violations. The resolution was adopted with the support of 36 countries, with three states opposing it. Germany was one of eight countries to abstain.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
