GENEVA – At a special session on the conflict in Gaza today, the World Jewish Congress (WJC) laid out a stark choice for the United Nations Human Rights Council. “Today, this Council has a choice – will it uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter or allow itself to be a political tool of terrorists?” the WJC’s Geneva representative, Michael D. Colson, told the council members today, urging them to sanction the Hamas terrorists who are raining rockets on Israel for their “wanton violation of human rights.”
“By firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli civilians in the last three weeks alone, Hamas has launched an armed attack against a [UN] member state. Millions of Israeli citizens have been and are being terrorized by these attacks and the unrelenting barrage of rockets that has persisted for many years.
"Only if the international community, which has rightly deemed Hamas a terrorist organization, assumes its responsibility and sees to its disarmament, can this tragic violence end. Hamas is the violator of human rights – it violates the sanctity of mosques, hospitals and schools; it abuses the Red Crescent on ambulances; it rejects and violates ceasefire agreements; it uses children as human shields,” Colson told the UN body in Geneva.
He added: “We respectfully call upon the members of this Council to reject the resolution before them, and to sanction Hamas for its wanton violation of human rights.”
The WJC’s full statement appears below.
Statement delivered by Michael D. Colson on behalf of World Jewish Congress
I speak today on behalf of the World Jewish Congress, an organization representing more than 100 Jewish communities worldwide.
The World Jewish Congress played a historic role in the establishment of the United Nations and in the drafting of its Charter. Article 51 of that Charter states,” 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…”
By firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli civilians in the last three weeks alone, Hamas has launched an armed attack against a member state.
Millions of Israeli citizens have been and are being terrorized by these attacks and the unrelenting barrage of rockets that has persisted for many years. Only if the international community, which has rightly deemed Hamas a terrorist organization, assumes its responsibility and sees to its disarmament, can this tragic violence end.
Hamas is the violator of human rights – it violates the sanctity of mosques, hospitals and schools; it abuses the Red Crescent on ambulances; it rejects and violates ceasefire agreements; it uses children as human shields.
Mr. President, the rights of Jews are being threatened as well in world capitals as we witness violent demonstrations by Hamas supporters who shout “Death to the Jews” and threaten physical harm.
Today, this Council has a choice – will it uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter or allow itself to be a political tool of terrorists?
We respectfully call upon the members of this Council to reject the resolution before them, and to sanction Hamas for its wanton violation of human rights.
Thank you, Mr. President.
