Conference of Presidents Condemns Biased United Nations Commission of Inquiry Report on Israel

"Dianne Lob, Chair, William Daroff, CEO, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Vice Chair, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, issued the following statement:

‘We strongly condemn the blatantly biased report by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)’s Commission of Inquiry (COI), which was established in the wake of Israel’s defensive actions against Hamas terrorists who fired over 4,000 rockets at civilian targets last May.

The final report ignores the actions of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist entities while placing disproportionate blame on Israel for supposedly perpetuating the conflict.

‘The COI, headed by commissioners whose anti-Israel bias have been firmly established by years of quotes and writings, has opportunistically applied its inappropriate mandate and disproportionate budget to condemn Israel’s defensive military action to protect its civilian population from existential threats. The report distorts and minimizes the threats facing Israel, particularly violence by Hamas, which it refuses to label as a terror organization.

Additionally, it ignores the countless instances in which the Palestinian Authority (PA) has operated in bad faith at the negotiating table, including repeated incitement of violence against Israel and its civilians. President Abbas and other PA officials have directly encouraged violence, murder, and hatred directed against Jews, particularly through ‘pay-for-slay’ schemes that promote the killing of Jews and Israelis for profit.

‘We commend the US Department of State for unequivocally affirming that the United States '…firmly oppose[s] the open-ended and vaguely defined nature of the UN Human Rights Council’s (HRC) Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, which represents a one-sided, biased approach that does nothing to advance the prospects for peace. The report of the Commission, released today, does nothing to alleviate our concerns.'

‘We strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with international law and call on the nations of the world to join us in labeling this document and its commission as the anti-Israel farce that it is.’

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The Conference of Presidents is the central coordinating body representing 50 national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern"