Israel strongly condemns announcement of U.N. High Commissioner of Human Rights

"Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz:

The UNHRC Commissioner's announcement regarding the publication of a 'blacklist' of companies represents the ultimate surrender to pressure exerted by countries and organizations interested in harming Israel. This announcement was made despite knowing that the majority of countries around the world declined to join this political pressure campaign.

The Commissioner's decision to continue to pursue an anti-Israel stance at the UN Human Rights Council is a stain on the office of the UN Commissioner and on human rights itself. With this announcement, the Commissioner has become a partner and tool of the boycott movement, despite the 'blacklist' not having any tangible legal implication.

The Human Rights Council is comprised of countries that do not know the meaning of human rights. Since its establishment, the Council has not taken a single meaningful step towards the preservation of human rights, but has rather served to protect some of the most discriminatory regimes in the world.

The Commissioner wasted an opportunity to preserve the dignity of the UN and salvage what was left of the Council and Commission's integrity. This decision will have serious implications for our future relations with the Council and the Commissioner.

The State of Israel will not tolerate this discriminatory anti-Israel policy, and will take action to prevent the implementation of these kinds of decisions."