On behalf of UN Watch on June 30th, Rabeea Abu Saleh, father of Ameer Abu Saleh, one of the 12 Druze children killed by a Hezbollah rocket while playing football in Majdal Shams, Israel, addressed the UN Human Rights Council during the debate on Lebanon.

Speech Transcript (English Translation):

Peace be upon you. My name is Rabeea Abu Saleh. I am from the Golan Heights, in northern Israel, from the village of Majdal Shams.

Ours is a peaceful, traditional, and well-educated village. All of its residents are Druze. We have always respected and continue to respect, all religions and beliefs, and we view life from a purely humanitarian perspective. On July 27, 2024, our village was struck by a rocket fired by Hezbollah.

It claimed the lives of 12 innocent children and wounded more than 40 others while they were playing football in a field in the center of the town. The oldest of these children was, tragically, my eldest son, Ameer Abu Saleh, who was 16 years old.

Also seriously injured in this incident, was my second son, Julian Abu Saleh. His injury kept him in hospitals receiving treatment for more than a year. This is my message to anyone listening: We, as citizens, always call for peace and love for others.

Do we not deserve to live with dignity and in peace? I firmly believe that there are no winners in war. All sides lose. As a father who has lost my son Ameer and has another child injured, I ask everyone who is able to to help bring peace to the region.

Especially between the Lebanese government and the Israeli government. In order to achieve a just peace in the Middle East we must also eliminate organizations like Hezbollah, which continuously seek to bring death, destruction, and suffering to civilians in Israel, in Lebanon, and in every place.

May God have mercy on my son Ameer, on his friends, and on all victims of war throughout the world. Thank you.

Speech Transcript (Original in Arabic):

السلام عليكم. أنا ربيع أبو صالح من هضبة الجولان الواقعة في شمال إسرائيل من قرية مجدل شمس. هذه القرية مسالمة ومحافظة متعلمة. جميع مواطنيها من الدروز. دائمًا كنا وما زلنا نحترم جميع الأديان والمعتقدات وننظر إلى الحياة من الجانب الإنساني البحت. في 27.7.2024 تعرضت هذه البلدة إلى قذيفة من حزب الله أدت بحياة اثني عشر طفل أبرياء وأكثر من أربعين جريحًا كانوا يلعبون كرة القدم في ملعب وسط البلدة. كان أكبر هؤلاء الأطفال للأسف ابني البكر أمير أبو صالح الذي يبلغ من العمر ستة عشر سنة، وأصيب في هذه الحادثة ابني الثاني جوليان أبو صالح إصابة بالغة أبقته في المستشفيات يتلقى العلاج لأكثر من سنة.

رسالتي إلى من يسمعني هي نحن كمواطنين دائمًا ندعو للسلام ومحبة الآخر. ألا نستحق أن نعيش باحترام وسلام؟ لأن قناعتي أنه لا يوجد رابح في الحروب. كل الأطراف خاسرة. أنا كأب فاقد لابني أمير وطفل آخر مصاب، أطلب من كل من هو قادر أن ينعم السلام في المنطقة. خاصة بين الحكومة اللبنانية والحكومة الإسرائيلية. من أجل تحقيق سلام عادل في الشرق الأوسط، والقضاء على كل تنظيم مثل حزب الله الذي يسعى دائمًا للقتل والخراب وأذية المواطنين في إسرائيل ولبنان وكل مكان. رحم الله ابني أمير ورفاقه وكل ضحايا الحروب في كل العالم. شكرًا لكم.

Speech Transcript (Hebrew Translation):

שלום עליכם ,אני רביע אבו סאלח מרמת הגולן, הנמצאת בצפון ישראל,  מהכפר מג׳דל שמס.  הכפר הזה הוא כפר שוחר שלום, שמרן ומשכיל. כל תושביו הם בני העדה הדרוזית. מאז ומתמיד כיבדנו, ועודנו מכבדים את כל הדתות והאמונות ורואים את החיים מנקודת מבטאנושית טהורה.

ב-27.7.2024 נפגע היישוב הזה מרקטה ששיגר חיזבאללה, שגבתה את חייהם של שנים־עשר ילדים חפים מפשע, והביאה לפציעתם של יותר מארבעים בני אדם בעת ששיחקו כדורגל במגרש שבמרכז היישוב. המבוגר מבין הילדים האלה היה לצערי בני הבכור, אמיר אבוסאלח, שהיה בן שש־עשרה, ובאירוע הזה נפצע גם בני השני, ג׳וליאן אבו סאלח, פציעה קשה, שבעקבותיה נאלץ לשהות בבתי חולים ולקבל טיפול במשך יותר משנה.  

המסר שלי לכל מי ששומע אותי הוא: שאנחנו כאזרחים תמיד קוראים לשלום ולאהבת האחר. האם איננו ראויים לחיות בכבוד ובשלום? כי אני מאמין שאין מנצחים במלחמות. כל הצדדים מפסידים. אני, כאב שאיבד את בני אמיר ושגם בני השני נפצע, מבקש מכל מי שיכוללפעול למען השכנת שלום באזור, במיוחד בין ממשלת לבנון לממשלת ישראל, למען השגת שלום צודק במזרח התיכון, ולמען פירוקו של כל ארגון כמו חיזבאללה, ששואף תמיד להרג, להרס ולפגיעה באזרחים בישראל, בלבנון ובכל מקום. ירחם האל על בני אמיר ועל חבריו,ועל כל קורבנות המלחמות בכל העולם. תודה לכם. 

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Hillel Neuer appeared on Fox Business with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the latest ceasefire agreement and the decline of Iran and their proxies since the start of Hamas’s war on Israel.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: Now joining us is UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer. Hillel, thanks very much for being here. What is your reaction to this new development regarding the ceasefire? We’re waiting on more details.

Hillel Neuer: Look, it’s the Middle East. Hamas wants to show its base that they’re fighting until the very last moment. I think we can expect, given the deadline that President Trump has put, I think we can expect that Hamas, in the end, will go ahead with the deal. This is sort of last minute bargaining.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: I’m glad you mentioned President Trump, because the President-elect posted this on Truth Social: ” This epic ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our historic victory in November. My national security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our allies to make sure Gaza never becomes a terrorist safe haven.”

The Times of Israel is reporting that Arab officials say Witkoff swayed Netanyahu more in one meeting than Biden did all year, but incoming White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt writes this on X: “Let’s be clear, this deal would not have been struck without the forceful hand of President Trump and his Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff. Once again, peace through strength prevails.”

Even Biden’s State Department praised the Trump team for the efforts, although Joe Biden himself, he was reluctant to do so.

U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller (recorded video): This ceasefire agreement was a long time in the making and comes as a result of extensive diplomatic engagements by President Biden, Secretary Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Director of Central Intelligence, William Burns, Brett McGurk, and other officials across the government, as well as our partners in the governments of Qatar and Egypt. when it comes to the involvement of the President-elect, Trump’s team has been absolutely critical in getting this deal over the line.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: Hillel, how much did Trump and his team sway the negotiations? I know Joe Biden has been asking for a ceasefire for a year, but what do you think? How did this happen?

Hillel Neuer: Now look, I think both administrations, the outgoing and the incoming, get credit. The details were indeed developed over many months, the pressure, the urgency is the incoming administration. So I think Biden team can get credit for working on the details, but the urgency that President Trump put in his announcement that that “all hell would break out” if the deal was not done by next week, and him sending his special envoy to the region, putting pressure on everyone, I think that urgency is what clinched the deal.

And I think this deal needs to be welcomed with a mix of relief, heartache and outrage. Relief that finally, after 466 days, some hostages will begin to be released in the next few weeks. We’re expecting 33 hostages so far, that’s the relief. The heartache is knowing that dozens have been killed and died in the past one-plus years in the torture chambers of Hamas in Gaza, the idea that many of the hostages will not be released in the initial phase, and the opening up of the wound of what they suffered, the torture, and the horrific abuse.

Finally, the outrage. What Hamas did on October 7th, the massacre of entire families, horrific, unspeakable atrocities, and the support that Hamas won in campuses and other quarters of the elites across America and around the world.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: President Biden says, you know, thanks to him, terrorism and threats in Gaza have been significantly diminished.

U.S. President Joseph Biden (recorded video): Now, the terror network that once protected and sustained Hamas is far weaker. Iran is weaker. Iran is weaker than it has been in decades. Hezbollah is badly degraded, and after more than 15 months of war, Hamas’s senior leaders are dead. Thousands of Hamas fighters are dead, and the military formations have been destroyed.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: So many questions about that, Hillel. First of all, I don’t think Iran is weakened. I mean, they’ve had an opportunity to generate billions and billions of oil revenue selling it to China. This administration, the Biden administration, blew off the sanctions, and I want to get your take on this deal as well, because who’s in charge of Gaza now, what’s next for the region, and why is it that so many of the hostages will remain in Gaza? Only 33 hostages will be released in the first phase, dozens alive and dead. It just seems that the initial phases of this deal is, you know, one Israeli for 50 Palestinians in one frame, and one Israeli for 30 Palestinians. What do you make of this deal?

Hillel Neuer: Look, you know, Hamas leaders have been declaring victory in the past day. Their deputy chief Khalil al-Hayya said this was a victory that would be a source of pride for generations, and he said it was a turning point in history for the Palestinians. And this is absurd.

Indeed, it is true—whether Biden can claim credit for it or not, because at various key points he told Israel to hold back, whether it was the war in Lebanon, whether it was entering Rafah, of course, he did supply arms to Israel for the most part—but there’s no question Hezbollah has been crushed.

That forced Lebanon to demand a ceasefire and has a new leadership. Syria, the Assad regime as a result of Iran and Hezbollah being weakened, the Assad regime fell and is no more. Iran is weakened. You know, their air defenses—you’re right about what you said about oil, that is an outrage—but their air defenses were, you know, significantly destroyed, and they are vulnerable.

So, there is no victory [for Hamas], and we should note that never before in history has a side claimed to suffer genocide at the same time that they declare victory in the war and massacre that they started.

Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business: Iran may be weakened as a result of Israel’s aggressiveness despite Biden’s guidance. Biden kept telling them, end this, ceasefire now, don’t go into Rafah. Israel blew that off and did it. And yes, there were, there was a weakening of Iranian leadership and proxies as a result of that. Hillel, we’re watching this closely, and we want to see whether or not this actually sticks. Thank you, sir.

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Hillel Neuer appeared on NewsNation with Adrienne Bankert to discuss Israel’s objectives in Lebanon against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, and to express hope for an independent Lebanon to emerge free from the Islamic regime of Iran’s control. 

Adrienne Bankert, NewsNation: Joining me right now is foreign policy expert and human rights advocate, Hillel Neuer. Thank you so much for being with us once again. Now, the IDF is making significant gains, not only with targeted killings, but also in destroying a large percentage of weaponry that Hezbollah, the terror group, has been using. Talk to us a little bit about what exactly Israel’s objective is, are they looking to destroy Hezbollah as they have vowed to eradicate Hamas?

Hillel Neuer: Look, Israel is making significant progress in diminishing the power of what is the largest terrorist army in the world. Hezbollah has far more firepower than even the Lebanese army, and more than most countries have and more than most European countries. You know, they started the war with 150,000 missiles, suicide drones, and other very deadly weapons.

They are also a very experienced terrorist army because they were part of the genocide that Bashar al-Assad was perpetrating against its own people. Yet, in the past several months, Israel has significantly diminished them. They took out Hassan Nasrallah, and most of the leadership have been eliminated. Thousands of missiles have been destroyed. Israel is now attacking pinpoint operations in Beirut, where Hezbollah have missiles hidden beneath certain apartment buildings and other assets.

So, I would say that Israel is continuing to diminish the ability of Hezbollah to attack Israel. Obviously, in the past few weeks and in the past few days, Hezbollah has been attacking Israel’s north. They attacked a synagogue. They’re still able to kill people in Israel’s north, but they are being vastly reduced.

And it’s clear that Hezbollah is taking action to demand some kind of ceasefire, and they’ve stopped demanding any role in the Gaza conflict. So, Hezbollah is hugely reduced, and hopefully will be, you know, neutralized, so they can’t pose the kind of threat they’ve posed to Israel’s north, where you have some 60,000 Israelis who are internally displaced and can’t even live in the north because of Hezbollah’s attacks.

Adrienne Bankert, NewsNation: Yeah, starting on October 8th is when Hezbollah started firing on Israel from Lebanon. How does a peace deal work? I mean, at first, according to Lebanese media, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa Johnson, handed this draft deal of a ceasefire to Lebanon’s Parliament speaker, and then you have Iran being summoned by the Lebanese prime minister to negotiate peace talks between Israel and Hezbollah. Do we have the inner workings here? And what besides Iran saying Hezbollah back down could they do?

Hillel Neuer: Well, part of the main problem in Lebanon is that it’s really not up to the Lebanese people what happens to their own country. Lebanon has been occupied by the Islamic regime of Iran for several decades now. The largest military force in Lebanon is not the Lebanese army, and it’s not the Lebanese police. Instead, it’s the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s proxy, which is Hezbollah.

And so indeed, as you said, in order for any kind of a deal with Israel, we will see that Iran is the one who’s deciding. And hopefully, things are beginning to change. We’re beginning to see other sectors of power emerge. You know, there’s a large Sunni population while, of course, the Iranian regime is Shiite, so they support the Shiites in Lebanon. But you also have a Sunni Arab population. You have a very large Christian population. These are the Christian Maronites. You have Druze. You have other groups that are now beginning to feel stronger, and many of them are beginning to push back against Hezbollah, one of the great accomplishments of Israel’s war on Hezbollah.

Finally, as you said, after a year since October 8th, 2023, when Hezbollah has been pummeling Israel with well over 10,000 missiles and suicide drones fired at its north. The great accomplishment of Israel’s pushback would be the emergence of an independent Lebanon again, and indeed, resolution 1701, from way back in 2006 which called for the complete dismantlement of Hezbollah in the south of the country. It never happened. Now there’s a chance.

So, I think the international community should rally together to strengthen the true, original, independent, and authentic Lebanese elements to allow the Lebanese state to emerge once again. Keep in mind, Lebanon was once the pearl of the Middle East. Beirut has a beautiful beach front, and the Islamic regime of Iran destroyed that just like they destroyed Syria, destroyed Yemen, destroyed Gaza, and they’re trying to destroy the West Bank by infiltrating. So, we hope that an independent Lebanon will emerge to hopefully destroy Hezbollah and allow for a peaceful Middle East to emerge.

Adrienne Bankert, NewsNation: It would be great. I think everyone’s wish—those of sober mind—want peace. Hillel Neuer, thank you for being with us.

Hillel Neuer: Thank you for having me.

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Hillel Neuer’s appearance on NewsNation with Adrienne Bankert to discuss Israel’s recent pinpoint counterterrorism operation against Hezbollah’s terror mastermind Hassan Nasrallah.

Adrienne Bankert, NewsNation: Iran, as we know well, backs Hezbollah. They said the deaths will, quote, “not go unavenged.” So here’s the question, what happens now there’s been that talk of a potential ground invasion? We know that the U.S. State Department has urged Americans to leave Lebanon due to the unpredictable nature of this ongoing conflict right now.

Foreign policy expert and human rights advocate Hillel Neuer is here with me right now. Thank you so much for joining us and making the time. So we know this was a huge blow by Israel after an incessant amount of airstrikes has pummeled them, hitting mostly the Iron Dome. But those few rockets that were able to hit central Israel, was that the straw that broke the camel’s back for Netanyahu?

Hillel Neuer: Well, I don’t think so. I think the straw that broke the camel’s back is that on October 8th, a day after Hamas perpetrated a massacre, killing families and 1,200 Israelis by invading Israel in the most sadistic and horrific way, one day later, Hezbollah in the north, from Lebanon, completely unprovoked, began to assault Israel and didn’t stop until today. In the past 11 months, the Hezbollah terrorist group, backed as you said, by Iran, fully funded and armed by Iran, has fired 9,500 rockets, missiles and suicide drones at Israelis, causing 70,000 people to be expelled from their homes and to be refugees within Israel.

So, the cause was and is Hezbollah’s war against Israel. Israel acted with restraint the past several months and was waiting for the right moment to strike back, and strike back they did. Within the span of 11 days, you had an unprecedented, pinpoint counterterrorism strike, perhaps the most extraordinary in military history, where 1000s of pagers that were distributed to Hezbollah commanders suddenly blew up. Then you had the strikes against Hezbollah’s leading terrorists. Finally, on Friday, the incredible elimination of the terror mastermind, Hassan Nasrallah.

You have to understand, Hassan Nasrallah is not just anyone. He’s kind of the bin Laden on steroids for the jihadis across the Middle East, for the Iranians and their backers in Syria, the Bashar al-Assad regime, and the devotees within Lebanon. And he’s also an enemy, even for people who don’t like Israel. Throughout Syria, in Idlib, they were celebrating because Nasrallah helped Bashar al-Assad kill some half a million people with the most brutal methods. Iranians, both in Iran itself and abroad, are celebrating. Syrians are celebrating. Druze are celebrating. Lebanese Christians are celebrating. Lebanese Sunnis are celebrating. And of course, Jews and Israelis are celebrating.

The elimination of Nasrallah on Friday is a momentous, historic act. He was considered almost like a messiah like figure—a key bridge between the Islamic regime in Iran and the Arab world—and he’s gone. So this is a game changer.

Adrienne Bankert, NewsNation: And do you think that that will literally obliterate the morale of these Hezbollah militants who now have literally no commanders, in a sense, because of Israel’s warfare?

Hillel Neuer: Look again, there’s no way to underestimate the devastating blow to morale of the jihadis who belong to the Shiite stream by the death of Nasrallah. He was this charismatic figure for decades. He gave speeches. In fact, he was telling his pay masters how to go about fighting the war. So, he told the Iranians how best to help Bashar al-Assad maintain his genocidal war against his own people. He advised the Iranians how to set up similar terror prophecies in Iraq and in Yemen, which, by the way, just yesterday, fired yet another missile at Israel, and today, the Israelis finally struck back.

So Nasrallah was a linchpin, and I think his elimination is a devastating blow. You can see the reactions. There was a young man, a devotee of Hezbollah, who said, “life isn’t worth living anymore.” But make no mistake, Hezbollah still has thousands of missiles. They still have thousands of terrorists who are willing to invade Israel. So, for this war to end, either Israel is going to have to do a ground operation at some point, or the international community is going to have to finally wake up. They’ve been silent for 11 months.

You know, the past week we saw the French president saying, “woe onto Lebanon.” And the U.N. Chief António Guterres saying, “we need de-escalation.” Guess what? Lebanon has been firing 9,500 missiles, rockets, suicide drones, at Israelis for 11 months. They didn’t say a thing. So, for the for war to end, Hezbollah really needs to be disarmed and moved away from the border at least about 20 miles north of Israel’s border so that Israel, a sovereign country, can allow its citizens to go back to a large part of northern Israel, which has been emptied because of the terrorism. That’s the way this war ends.

Adrienne Bankert, NewsNation: Hillel, I’d love to talk with you some more about the focus that has been placed on these refugees, or potential refugees, as people flee to Syria, and also to the fact that this is very similar in terms of eliminating a terror threat in another country for Israel, but we’re out of time. I hope to have you back again soon. Thank you, Hillel.

Hillel Neuer: Thank you.

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While the UN procedure known as Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is meant to scrutinize governments and thereby strengthen the basic rights and freedoms of their citizens, according to a UN Watch count, 89 out of 105 countries that spoke today at the UNHRC—85 percent—praised Lebanon for its human rights achievements.

This includes 54 countries that glowingly praised the corrupt Lebanese authorities for their human rights record, and another 35 that expressed some praise for the country’s alleged achievements.

“It is shameful that only a very small minority of 16 countries used their allotted 1 minute of speaking time to apply scrutiny to Lebanon’s human rights record,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights organization in Geneva.

“The vast majority—85 percent of the countries that spoke—turned a blind eye to Lebanon’s torture by security forces, restrictions on freedoms of speech and press, high-level and widespread official corruption, criminalization of LGBTI status, and the government’s ties to Hezbollah, a terrorist group that helped slaughter tens of thousands of people in Syria,” said Neuer. “All of this was ignored.”

Below is a selection of the praise expressed by 85% of the UNHRC delegates:

Bahrain: “We  commend the tireless efforts by Lebanon in all fields of human rights.”

China: “China appreciates Lebanon’s adoption of the National Strategy for the Prevention of Violent Extremism to combat terrorism and extremism, and protect people’s safety and human rights.”

Egypt: “We commend the progress achieved in the field of human rights despite economic and social difficulties, particularly in the light of COVID-19.”

India: “We commend the progress made by Lebanon since its second Universal Periodic Review, particularly its accession to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, and the adoption of the National Strategy for Gender Equality.”

Iran: “Lebanon is fighting the pandemic despite all of the challenges, and this is commendable.”

Iraq: “We commend the measures taken on the legislative and political front to improve the human rights situation and welcome their efforts against extremism and terrorism.”

Jordan: “We hail Lebanon’s commitment to achieve and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

Kuwait: “Lebanon is a pioneering state in the field of human rights.”

Pakistan: “Despite grappling with financial, political and security challenges, coupled with huge refugees’ influx, we appreciate Lebanon’s commitment to comply with its international human rights obligations.”

Palestine: “We have taken note of the efforts taken by the government [of Lebanon] to promote human rights, and we urge Lebanon to continue its efforts to develop practical mechanisms for the promotion of human rights.”

Russia: “Despite all the difficulties the country is facing, including an unprecedented influx of refugees and an ongoing terrorist threat, Lebanon has consistently and successfully strengthened its national human rights system.”

Turkey: “We commend that Lebanon takes on the responsibility of providing shelter for more than one million refugees. We recognize that this is a tremendous burden which should be shared by the international community.”

Venezuela: “We hail the progress of Lebanon in implementing recommendations, and we recognize the resilience of the Lebanese people in moving forward with optimism after the accident in the Beirut port.”

The post UNHRC Delegates Praise Lebanon on Human Rights appeared first on UN Watch.

Delivered by Mr. Hillel Neuer

I thank you, Mr. President.

The purpose of this human rights review is to make a difference for men and women on the ground, by holding governments to account. In that regard, we ask: Should human rights activists support — or object — to the today’s report on Lebanon’s human rights record?
Let me read from the report:

• Par. 49: “Algeria commended Lebanon for its progress on economic, social and cultural rights.”

• Par. 45: “Venezuela acknowledged the commitment of Lebanon to upholding human rights.”

• Par. 24: “Senegal praised Lebanon’s progress.”

• Par. 31: “Sri Lanka welcomed Lebanon’s efforts to ensure the right to education.”

• Par. 32: “The State of Palestine commended Lebanon’s efforts to promote and protect human rights.”

• Par. 33: “Sudan commended the National Human Rights Plan.”

Yet the truth, Mr. President, is the opposite.
Let us be clear.
The truth is that Lebanon’s human rights record received a negative rating from Freedom House, including on civil liberties and political rights.
The truth is that, as documented in a major report by Amnesty International, Lebanon continues to discriminate against Palestinians, denying their universal human rights, including the freedom to work in numerous professions and to earn a living.
Given that the Palestinian Mission and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation yesterday circulated a series of resolutions about Palestinians, why is it that not one of these resolutions—not one word—addresses the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians whose human rights are violated by Lebanon?
The truth is that, contrary to what Lebanon stated in par. 93 of this report, Hezbollah—which Lebanon there acknowledges is an element of its government—remains a terrorist group. They target civilians worldwide, and as this council’s own commission of inquiry noted, they participate in the mass slaughter in Syria.
Even the Arab League, just a few days ago, declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization. I quote from the official statement: “The Arab League foreign minister’s committee has decided on Friday to consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization.”
Mr. President,
For all of these reasons, let me be clear: the victims of human rights abuse around the world object to the adoption of this report. Thank you, Mr. President.

Lebanon Replies
Mr President, we are fully committed to the human rights, especially freedom of expression, which is in the constitution of Lebanon and other laws of the land.
Nevertheless, what we heard from some of the NGOs — we heard terms referring to part of the Lebanese fabric of society. This in our opinion does not come within this freedom.
Defining Hezbollah as a terrorist group is not within the mandate of the UPR. The UPR must be far from any politicization…

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Geneva, Nov. 20, 2006 — The following statement by UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer is embargoed until official release of the report by the Human Rights Council’s commission of inquiry into alleged Israeli violations in Lebanon:

On August 11 the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) convened an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council to create a commission of inquiry into “the systematic targeting and killings of civilians by Israel in Lebanon.”  Although Western democracies and major human rights groups objected that the exercise was one-sided—it ignored Hezbollah’s thousands of missile attacks and the kidnapping that sparked the conflict—the censure easily won adoption.  Now giving Iran, Syria and the other 20 OIC state sponsors of the August resolution exactly what they desired, the report released today by the commissioners amounts to a 135-page indictment of Israel and a whitewash of Hezbollah violence.

It is bad enough that the members of the inquiry commission—João Clemente Baena Soares of Brazil, Mohamed Chande Othman of Tanzania, and Stelios Perrakis of Greece—consented to a mandate directed against only one side of an international conflict, and ignoring the roles of Hezbollah and its sponsors, Iran and Syria.  Worse, though, is that even in regard to that one party there was to be no genuine “inquiry”.  The verdict was predetermined:  the August resolution already found that Israel was guilty—of “gross violations” and more.  All the commissioners were instructed to do was justify this conclusion by coming up with many ways to describe Israel’s prejudged guilt.  This they have done.

The commissioners legitimize Hezbollah by adopting the terrorist group’s version of history, of this summer’s conflict and of international law.

“During the 1980s,” according to the report’s Profile and Background section, “Israel carried out frequent military operations, including shellings and air attacks.”  Deliberately omitted here, however, are little facts like the preceding takeover of Southern Lebanon by Yasser Arafat and his 18,000 PLO guerillas, who launched massive artillery and mortar attacks against Israeli villagers in the Galilee, as well as more than 270 terrorist attacks against innocent civilians across Israel in the 12 months leading up to June 1982.

But the commissioners are eager at every turn to give voice to Hezbollah’s claim—which they repeat without ever challenging—that it is a legitimate “armed resistance against Israel’s unlawful occupation of Lebanese territory.”  Their discussion of Israel’s complete, UN-certified withdrawal of Lebanon in the year 2000 artfully obscures the fact that the UN flatly rejected Hezbollah’s pretext that there remains an Israeli “occupation” of Lebanon.  The commissioners also render Hezbollah’s flouting of Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1680 as mere “non-compliance,” or, even softer, as “non full implementation.” Worse, those resolutions are reduced by the commissioners to the single requirement that Hezbollah “disarm”—omitting that both texts expressly require Hezbollah’s complete disbanding.  But recalling that international law requires Hezbollah to outright disband might cast aspersion on the latter’s legitimacy, and so it was conveniently ignored.

But what is by far the report’s greatest lapse is their selective approach to evidence.  Statements submitted by any Lebanese source—including Hezbollah-related organizations and individuals such as former Hezbollah Minister of Labor Trad Hmadeh—are accepted fully.  Attached to their report the commissioners publish without comment a lengthy Lebanese report listing every death as an “Israeli massacre.”

By contrast, although the report purports to thank NGOs for their contributions, the commissioners entirely ignored submissions to them by Amnesty International, UN Watch and other NGOs concerning violations by Hezbollah.  The report does this not only in its fundamental failure to address Hezbollah violations as a subject in itself, but even in those few areas where they it does claim to consider Hezbollah actions.  For example:

• The commissioners recognize that a TV station can be a legitimate target “if it called upon its audience to commit war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide.”  But they then condemn Israel’s disabling of the Al-Manar station because “the Commission was not provided with any evidence of this ‘effective contribution to military action’.”  This is false.   The UN Watch submission to the commission included testimony of Al-Manar’s aiding and abetting of war crimes, including a quote by a official of that station admitting that “[Al-Manar is meant to] help people on the way to committing what you call in the West a ‘suicide mission.’ [Its videos] are meant to be the first step in the process of a freedom fighter operation.”

• The commissioners stated that they “found no evidence regarding the use of ‘human shields’ by Hezbollah.”  In fact, the commission was provided with compelling evidence of exactly that—including, inter alia, general statements from UN experts like Jan Egeland regarding Hezbollah’s “cowardly blending […] among women and children”; and specific reports on Hezbollah’s forced use of human shields such as one documenting that “Hezbollah fighters had killed a man who was trying to leave Bint Jbail” (28 July 2006 New York Times article, in the UN Watch submission).

Despite all of this, the commissioners attempt to save their honor by pleading they were “bound by the mandate” given them.  Conceding that “any independent, impartial and objective investigation into a particular conduct during the course of hostilities must of necessity be with reference to all the belligerents involved,” they then devote two incoherent paragraphs to the argument that they somehow met that standard by “taking account” of Hezbollah’s conduct—even though they could not investigate “actions by Hezbollah in Israel.”  (Pars. 14-15, emphasis original).  However, the commissioners’ claim to have given a “broad interpretation” to their mandate (par. 5) is belied by their failure—whatever the justifications—to examine more than one side.

It did not have to be this way.  The commissioners could have followed the example of other UN experts who displayed independence and moral courage by defying the OIC’s subversion of the Human Rights Council and of international human rights law as a whole.  That is what Asma Jahangir did when, as Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion, she was instructed by an OIC-drafted resolution to produce a report on “defamation of religions.”  The OIC expected to coopt her in their year-long campaign at the UN to justify the violence that followed the Danish cartoon controversy.  But Jahangir refused to be used a pawn.  Instead, her report challenged the very premise of the OIC’s instruction by asserting that human rights law protects individuals, not religions—and that “criminalizing defamation of religion can be counter-productive.”  By risking the powerful opposition of the 56-strong Islamic bloc to her next UN candidacy, Jahangir demonstrated why she was recognized by Time Magazine as an “Asian Hero.”

Similarly, a group of four other Council rapporteurs—on health, housing and internally-displaced persons, led by NYU law professor Philip Alston, the expert on extra-judicial executions—showed that they were willing to take on the OIC attempt to subvert the Council for narrow political ends.  Following the August 11 special session that established the one-sided inquiry, these four initiated their own report on alleged Israeli and Hezbollah violations.  For attempting this balance, however, they were lambasted by over 25 OIC and OIC-allied countries when they presented their report to the Council in October.  Alston and his colleagues, like Jahangir, have also now put their UN careers in the crosshairs of the OIC.

In the space of only five months, the Human Rights Council—by devoting 100% of its censures (in four resolutions and three special sessions) to condemning Israel, and none to the rest of the world, including the genocide in Darfur and gross violations in China, Myanmar and Sri Lanka—has already earned its place in history’s hall of infamy.  Joining them now, through their contribution to the further subversion of the Council and international human rights law, are commissioners João Clemente Baena Soares of Brazil, Mohamed Chande Othman of Tanzania, and Stelios Perrakis of Greece.
Following is the UN Watch submission that the commissioners summarily noted in an annex but entirely ignored in the content of their report.
Click for full UN Watch Submission to Lebanon Inquiry

Human Rights Council
Commission of Inquiry on Lebanon
c/o Ms. Maggie Nicholson, Secretary
United Nations Office Geneva
Palais des Nations, Room A-580
1211 Geneva

October 20, 2006

Dear Messrs. Soares, Perrakis, and Othman,

As requested by Ms. Nicholson’s September 22 letter, enclosed please find materials relevant to your inquiry into the recent conflict in Lebanon. It was announced that you have already gathered information on alleged Israeli violations. The attached materials, from credible sources including leading non-governmental organizations, document Hezbollah violations during the conflict and thus provide a needed supplement.

Although resolution S-2/1 speaks only of Israeli violations, this in no way prevents you from considering the context of the conflict and making a balanced examination of both sides. Indeed, principles of fundamental justice require that you do just that.

Such an examination would not be unprecedented. The Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, whose mandate also refers only to Israeli violations, has recognized that consideration of the full picture is not only possible, but required. As he wrote in his most recent annual report, “[t]he Special Rapporteur’s mandate does not extend to human rights violations committed by the Palestinian Authority. It would, however, be irresponsible for a human rights special rapporteur to allow the execution of Palestinian prisoners to go unnoticed. . .”

Likewise, we appeal to your sense of professionalism and integrity in the hope that you will not allow the gross violations of Hezbollah to go unnoticed. Only by providing a full and balanced analysis will your inquiry commission be able to credibly contribute to the cause of peace in the Middle East, and to restoring the reputation of the Council.

Sincerely,

Hillel C. Neuer
Executive Director

Enclosures

Index of Documents

United Nations documents

Government Reports

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) reports

News media articles

Click for full UN Watch Submission to Lebanon Inquiry

The post Report by UN Lebanon Inquiry is One-Sided appeared first on UN Watch.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Human Rights Council
Commission of Inquiry on Lebanon
c/o Ms. Maggie Nicholson, Secretary
United Nations Office Geneva
Palais des Nations, Room A-580
1211 Geneva

October 20, 2006

Dear Messrs. Soares, Perrakis, and Othman,

As requested by Ms. Nicholson’s September 22 letter, enclosed please find materials relevant to your inquiry into the recent conflict in Lebanon. It was announced that you have already gathered information on alleged Israeli violations. The attached materials, from credible sources including leading non-governmental organizations, document Hezbollah violations during the conflict and thus provide a needed supplement.

Although resolution S-2/1 speaks only of Israeli violations, this in no way prevents you from considering the context of the conflict and making a balanced examination of both sides. Indeed, principles of fundamental justice require that you do just that.

Such an examination would not be unprecedented. The Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, whose mandate also refers only to Israeli violations, has recognized that consideration of the full picture is not only possible, but required. As he wrote in his most recent annual report, “[t]he Special Rapporteur’s mandate does not extend to human rights violations committed by the Palestinian Authority. It would, however, be irresponsible for a human rights special rapporteur to allow the execution of Palestinian prisoners to go unnoticed. . .”

Likewise, we appeal to your sense of professionalism and integrity in the hope that you will not allow the gross violations of Hezbollah to go unnoticed. Only by providing a full and balanced analysis will your inquiry commission be able to credibly contribute to the cause of peace in the Middle East, and to restoring the reputation of the Council.

Sincerely,

Hillel C. Neuer
Executive Director

Enclosures

Index of Documents

United Nations documents

Government Reports

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) reports

News media articles

Click for full UN Watch submission to Lebanon Inquiry (PDF file, 4MB)

The post UN Watch submission to Lebanon Inquiry appeared first on UN Watch.

Geneva, August 28, 2006 — UN Watch today demanded that the U.N. investigate new allegations that its UNIFIL mission in Lebanon was providing intelligence that helped shield Hezbollah forces as they fired more than 4,000 deadly rockets at Israeli civilians.  Following is the full text of the UN Watch letter, sent today to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and UNIFIL Commander Major-General Alain Pellegrini:

His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan
The Secretary-General
The United Nations
New York, NY 10017
Via fax

28 August 2006
Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

We are deeply troubled by new evidence that the supposedly neutral United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (“UNIFIL”) assisted Hezbollah terrorists by publishing detailed, sensitive information on Israeli troop movements on its website during the recent Israel/Hezbollah conflict.  (See Lori Lowenthal Marcus, “What did you do in the war, UNIFIL?”, The Weekly Standard , Volume 11, Issue 47, 4 September 2006 (copy attached )).   No similar information was published about Hezbollah forces, who fired more than 4,000 missiles aimed deliberately at Israeli civilians.

If true, such conduct is unconscionable—although not entirely surprising, given UNIFIL’s sad history of both tacit and active bias towards Hezbollah and against Israel—and raises troubling questions as to whether UN forces can be trusted to even-handedly police this area, just as more are being readied to deploy.

We urge you to initiate an immediate investigation into this matter.

With great respect, we remain,

Sincerely yours,

Ambassador Alfred H. Moses

Chairman

Hillel C. Neuer
Executive Director

cc: Major-General Alain Pellegrini, UNIFIL Force Commander

The post UN Watch Demands Investigation of UNIFIL Aid to Hezbollah appeared first on UN Watch.