Speech of World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer at Rally in Geneva Geneva Rally, 29 June 2015 Release Date: 29-‐June-‐2015 Place des Nations, Geneva -‐Check Against Delivery-‐ Dear Friends, Thank you all for coming here today. We have more than 50 organizations that have united in organizing this rally in support of Israel. We have people here from many, many countries – from Hungary, from Italy, from the Netherlands, from France… And this is not only a Jewish event; we have Christians and others who joined us here today, out of conviction. Let me tell you: It is not a common sight these days in Europe to see so many Israeli flags in one place. And I am glad that so many of you have come here to show your colors. The reason we are here today is to tell the United Nations that it needs to change. It needs to overcome its obsession with Israel. This obsession is destructive, and it stands in the way of an effective human rights policy that is so badly needed. Today, whenever Israel has to make use of its legitimate right to defend its existence against the thousands of rockets fired into its territories, when it tries to destroy the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas and other groups in Gaza, it is immediately accused of committing war crimes by the United Nations. * * * * * * Dear friends, After the Holocaust, the World Jewish Congress played a role in the establishment of the United Nations and in the drafting of its Charter. Article 51 says, and I quote: “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-‐defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations.”
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Clearly, by firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli civilians, Hamas and its allies launched an armed attack against a member state of the United Nations. And Israel was within its rights to respond. It is Hamas that is the violator of human rights. It violates the sanctity of schools, of mosques, of hospitals. It uses civilians as human shields. And it executes people publicly without even giving them a fair trial. As retired British Army Colonel Richard Kemp wrote in the New York Times last week: “The reason so many civilians died in Gaza last summer was not Israeli tactics or policy. It was Hamas’s strategy.” And Israel did not go into Gaza because it wanted to expand its territory. Israel had to go into Gaza to defend its citizens. As you all know, Israeli troops and settlers left the Gaza Strip a decade ago. Gaza is still an occupied territory. But the occupier is not Israel. It’s a terrorist movement called Hamas. And if it were not for the brutal Hamas regime, Gaza would be thriving today. Yet many in the United Nations continue to blame Israel for everything that goes wrong in the Gaza Strip. That’s because blaming Israel for every woe has become a sport. Not just here at the UN, but here especially. The Human Rights Council has been in existence for only eight years, but has dealt with the Israeli-‐Palestinian conflict more extensively than with any other subject. So far, the Council held 23 special sessions on this topic and issued more one-‐sided condemnations of Israel (61!) than of all the other countries in the world taken together… Certainly, Israel is not perfect, and its army, its leaders make mistakes, and these need to be investigated. But Israel has independent courts. Israel investigates itself. Israel does intensive soul-‐searching after each military action. Israel holds its leaders accountable. Are you aware of similar actions in other places? Did you hear that the Palestinian Authority, or Hamas, or Hezbollah, or Assad, or ISIS, or anybody else in the Middle East have their actions questioned by an investigative committee?
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Everybody knows the answer: No. That’s why we are here today to tell the United Nations Human Rights Council: Stop applying double standards towards Israel – it’s unfair. Stop portraying Israel as a serial violator of human rights -‐ it’s wrong. Stop putting the democratic State of Israel on the same level as the terror regime of Hamas – it’s an insult. Israel has a decent human rights track record, and certainly the best in the Middle East. But that’s beside the point, of course. Many members on this council don’t care about human rights. What they care about is pointing fingers at Israel to deflect attention from their own disturbing human rights records back home. In 2006, when the Human Rights Council was established, then Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, called it, I quote, a “historic” development. He said it would help improve the lives of millions of people worldwide. Well, that’s how it should have been. But that’s not how it has worked out... * * * * * * Dear Friends, The Human Rights Council and its obsession with Israel has to stop, not just because the reputation of the United Nations as the world’s leading body to enforce human rights is at stake. But also because so many people need the United Nations to focus on THEIR plights as well. The people in Syria. The people in Iraq. The people in Somalia. The people in Pakistan. While we’re here, let’s not forget this: While the Council is again meeting today to discuss matters relating to Israel and the Palestinians, more people across the Middle East are becoming refugees. Women are raped and innocent people are beheaded.
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Human rights violations of the worst kind are happening as the UN’s Human Right Council is again bashing Israel. This Council has an important mandate to fulfil. But it can’t do so by applying different standards to different countries. The same standards must apply to everyone, and the most important challenges must get the top priority. The UN must be FAIR, and the UN must be JUST towards all of its members. If it isn’t, it will NOT be effective. And effective it must be, for the sake of millions around the world. When it comes to respecting the UN conventions, Israel does much better than most other countries. Of course, Israel is not perfect. It can improve many things, including on human rights. It needs to deal with criticism, and so it does. But Israel cannot and will not tolerate being everybody’s punching bag. And WE will not tolerate that either. Thank you all for coming here today. # # #