New "Expert" on Human Rights in "Occupied Palestinian Territories" Ignores Palestinian Terror

In a July 20, 2016 press release describing his first official visit as the U.N. special rapporteur on "human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories," Michael Lynk criticizes Israeli self-defense while failing to even mention Palestinian terror attacks and incitement to violence. His lop-sided job description, which dates back more than 20 years, is to condemn Israel and not to investigate Palestinians. The press release, which equates the deaths of Israeli civilians killed in terror attacks and the deaths of their attackers, indicates that Lynk will have no problem following in the footsteps of his predecessors in representing "human rights" from the vantage point of a biased mandate.

In the words of the press release:

"I am concerned about the escalation of violence that began last September, and about the many deaths, both Palestinian and Israeli, that resulted from this violence. I would urge the Israeli authorities to thoroughly investigate cases which may have amounted to an excessive use of force or to an extrajudicial killing, and to ensure that genuine accountability is made a priority. I am particularly concerned by the recently published police regulations which state that Israeli police forces may react to stone throwing with live ammunition. Use of deadly force should only be used in extremely limited cases – only when a law enforcement officer is faced with a life-threatening danger. It is clear that the longstanding Occupation continues to affect a broad spectrum of rights under international law, and to hinder the economic and social development of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. "