UN "Human Rights" Council Hosts Session Accusing Israel of "Trying to Exterminate" Palestinians

On the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council, so-called "human rights" organizations are accusing Israel of attempting to "exterminate" Palestinians.

These sessions are no accident. They are held on UN premises, and the UN advertises the events.

UN-accredited NGOs may hold "informal meetings" during the Human Rights Council sessions. UN rooms are allotted by UN staff to UN-accredited NGOs upon request. Requests are approved if facilities are available and if they meet the UN's requirement that - in the words of the request form - "Accredited NGOs in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) may organize information meetings of relevance to the work of the Human Rights Council." The form also stipulates that: "Materials containing abusive or offensive language or images are not permitted on United Nations premises."

These meetings are perceived as fora to influence diplomats and UN staff. As the UN booking form explains: "NGO parallel events are public meetings and may be attended by NGOs, Permanent Mission Representatives, UN Staff and other persons with access to Palais des Nations."

The meetings are advertised by the UN itself during Council sessions by being posted daily on the UN website under the title "Bulletin of informal meetings."

On March 21, the UN-accredited NGO "The Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture" held one of these "informal" meetings entitled "Children and Women in Israel Jails" and showed a movie accusing Israel of torturing and sexually abusing children and of attempting to exterminate Palestinians. Here are some of the allegations from the movie:

"Among those methods is torture by electricity and obliging them to take of [sic] their clothes... they provoke you trying to make certain movements which signifies sexual assaults... This is considered sexual violence against the child... The occupation authorities try to break their thorn. They cause them psychological diseases and don't try to handle them... trying to exterminate and [sic] entire Palestinian generation psychologically, healthy, educationally and culturally."

A featured panelist, Mr. Ziyaad Ibrahim Patel, described on the program as an "international human rights lawyer of South Africa," also alleged the following:

"Palestinian children, who suffer and endure tremendous types of torture committed by one of the worst occupying forces in the world that mankind has ever known... many Palestinian children endure torture, sexual abuse... Israel is an apartheid state, it is a belligerent occupier, and it practices colonialism... we want to bring these criminals to account for the crimes that they have committed, for the torture that they inflict... the torture of children and Palestinians held in Israeli prisons constitute crimes against humanity..."