(Communicated by the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN, Geneva)

In reaction to the joint press release dated November 25, 2014, issued by the UN Special Rapporteurs Mr. Wibisono and Ms. Farha, the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN has issued the following press release:

Israel is disappointed by the unbalanced joint press release, dated November 25th, issued by the UN Special Rapporteurs Mr. Wibisono and Ms. Farha titled "Palestinian homes must cease to be a target".
 
We regret that, despite the escalating trend of family evacuations and house demolitions throughout the entire Middle East region, the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing has never commented on the issue before, but deemed it necessary to make a statement regretting the demolition of the house of a terrorist who killed in cold blood a three-month-old baby, a young woman, and injured six others.
 
The press release ends by stating that "the only means to stop this cycle of violence is for Israel to place human rights at the center of its policy-making". By saying this, the mandate holders have turned a blind eye to terrorism, incitement, celebrations of violence and encouragement of extremism carried out by Palestinians and their leaders.
 
Palestinians and their leaders should not be absolved from their responsibility in nurturing this so-called 'cycle of violence', or from bringing it to an end.
 
The right to life is a fundamental human right. Israel will carry its duty to protect the lives of its citizens, and the Mandate Holders should respect the human rights of Israelis.