At UN "Human Rights" Council, Israel Accused of Plotting to Turn Palestinian Kids Into terrorists

On the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council, so-called "human rights" organizations are holding sessions claiming that Israel is deliberately turning Palestinian children into terrorists as part of a nefarious military plot.

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 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 18, the UN-accredited NGO Maarij Foundation for Peace and Development held one of these "informal" meetings entitled "Children in Conflict", in which a featured panelist claimed Israel was responsible for Palestinian terror.

An attendee at the panel asked the following:

"It seems to me that the treatment described of Palestinian children in their arrest and detention being designed to humiliate them could be in fact designed to create a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Israeli defense force has the view that Palestinian children are terrorists. It seems to me that the treatment is actually designed to try and turn them into terrorists."

A featured panelist of the session, Daniela Donges, President of the NGO called "Scale for Justice:" responded this way: "I totally agree. And in some cases we could also see that it's a deliberate strategy to provoke violence in order to have justification for-to maintain the military control over the Palestinians."