Note
Israel has signaled to the UN Human Rights Council President, Remigiusz A. Henczel of Poland, that it is actively pursuing a return to a full relationship with the UN Human Rights Council and associated mechanisms. The letter, circulated widely by Henczel, does not indicate any specific conditions for Israel's policy change or articulate to the UN human rights world the discriminatory conditions to which Israel is subject. Those conditions, such as the Council's permanent agenda item devoted to Israel-bashing (while all other states are taken together) will not be reformed or altered by the Muslim- dominated body. Hence, the move suggests Israel is prepared to mount the UN "human rights" bus and resume sitting at the back - in the name of "universal" human rights standards which are rooted in equality. The Obama administration is the lead champion of the Council and Israel's non-participation was an embarrassment. Why the profound embarrassment of accepting the double-standards, and thereby sending a message of serious weakness and self-doubt, is not Israel's priority, is anyone's guess.