On September 22, 2014, the permanent anti-Israel item - "Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories" - was front and center, once again.
Although UN staff is fond of blaming states for all the UN's ills, the day served as a reminder of the major role played by UN officials themselves in the demonization of Israel.
Just a sampling of what passed for "human rights" at the UN, included likening Israelis to Nazis and accusing the Jewish state of "extermination," "genocide," "ethnic cleansing," and "crimes against humanity." For instance:
- Flavia Pansieri, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, implied that Israel was somehow to be blamed for the deaths of Palestinians who drowned in the Mediterranean after human smugglers deliberately rammed their boat several days ago: "Gazans found themselves in an intolerable situation, trapped in the densely populated strip under blockade...The tragic deaths of hundreds of migrants from Gaza in the Mediterranean in recent days show just how desperate many people are to escape their miserable situation." The traffickers took advantage of people from a number of places including Syria, Egypt, Sudan and Gaza, and then deliberately sunk the boat killing almost all on board. The reason for Palestinians wanting to leave Gaza, where they are used as human shields by Hamas as part of its campaign to destroy Israel, was somehow omitted from the UN's comments.
The Palestinian Ambassador accused Israel of "all forms of maiming and murder" while declaring that "Israel is the biggest violator of human rights."
Syria, where over 200,000 citizens have been killed by its government, said "settlements are war crimes" and "amongst crimes seen lately is bloodletting in Gaza."
Pakistan for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) compared Israel to apartheid South Africa: "we condemn in the strongest terms apartheid policies that Israel operated in the opt in terms of racially segregated roads...and the fragmentation of territory and enclosure of Palestinians in bantustans like areas."
Venezuela accused Israel of "war crimes and crimes against humanity...aimed at exterminating Palestinian people" and "genocidal aggression."
Cuba said Israel's aim was "annihilation" of the Palestinians and accused it of "genocidal practices."
Saudi Arabia accused Israel of "detentions and rounding up and many victims killed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
Qatar said Israel used "self-defense only as a pretext" to continue its "savage practices against the Palestinian people."
The Maldives and Oman accused Israel of "crimes against humanity," while Bangladesh accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing goals."
Genocidal Iran - which openly calls for the eradication of Israel - said "Israeli policies amount to apartheid" and "constitute genocide and crimes against humanity."