(Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson)

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) announced today (Friday, July 6 2012) the membership of a fact-finding mission on Israeli settlements.

The establishment of this mission is another blatant expression of the singling out of Israel in the UNHRC and of the uncandid approach that characterizes the Council's dealing with Israel. This singling out of Israel has unfortunately roots at the very base of the UNHRC, and has even been formally institutionalized in its founding documents (article 7 of the Permanent Agenda).                                                                                                                               

Israel has suspended its ties with the UNHRC following the latter's decision, in March, to establish this fact-finding mission, and decided to withhold cooperation with its proceedings and products.

Israel was left with no choice other than to take this decision, after it became  apparent that putting the disproportionate focus on Israel, while systematically ignoring massive human rights violations in the very countries who bear responsibility for this focus, only leads to the contempt and degradation of the important cause of universal human rights.

The suspension of ties by Israel is a wake-up call to democratic countries, who should attempt to fix the serious corruption of the UNHRC and not allow the trampling of human rights precisely where the international community must raise their banner.

One example among many: at a time when President Assad's regime is massacring thousands of its own people, the UNHRC only dedicates it symbolic attention, as if to go through the motions, while turning its resources to obsessively focus, yet again, on Israel.

This fact-finding mission will find no cooperation in Israel, and its members will not be allowed to enter Israel and the territories. Its existence embodies the inherent distortion that typifies the UNHRC treatment of Israel and the hijacking of the important human rights agenda by non-democratic countries. The latter, unbothered by and dismissive of human rights, are taking advantage of their political and numerical weight in order to distort systematically the proceedings and rules of the UNHRC and to empty its workings of all moral content.