voting against palestinian rights

So who's stalling the 'peace process'?

4 recent votes at the Human Rights Council:

1. Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan
Resolution A/HRC/13/L.28
Adopted on 24/03/2010: 46 in favour, 1 against
Votes against: United States of America

2. Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination
Resolution A/HRC/13/L.27
Adopted on 24/03/2010: 45 in favour, 1 against
Votes against: United States of America

3. The grave human rights violations by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
Resolution A/HRC/13/L.29
Adopted on 24/03/2010: 31 in favour, 9 against, 7 abstentions
Votes against: Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and United States of America

And what is it we don't like about the following?

The Human Rights Council...

1. Demands that the occupying Power, Israel, end its occupation of the Palestinian land occupied since 1967 …
2. Strongly condemns the Israeli military attacks and operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory...
3. Demands that the occupying Power, Israel, stop the targeting of civilians and the systematic destruction of the cultural heritage of the Palestinian people...
4. Condemns the disrespect for religious and cultural rights provided for in core human rights instruments and humanitarian law by the occupying Power, Israel, in the occupied Palestinian territories...
5. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, respect the religious and cultural rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in occupied East Jerusalem...
6. Expresses its grave concern at the excavation of ancient tombs and removal of hundreds of human remains from part of the historic Ma’man Allah (Mamila) Cemetery in the holy city of Jerusalem in order to construct a “museum of tolerance”...
7. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, immediately cease all diggings and excavation works beneath and around Al-Aqsa mosque compound and other religious sites in the old city of Jerusalem, and refrain from any act that may endanger the structure or foundations or change the nature of the holy sites, both Islamic and Christian...
8. Calls for the immediate international protection for the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinia
9. Also calls for the immediate cessation of all Israeli military attacks and operations throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
10. Demands that the occupying Power, Israel, immediately stop its illegal decision to demolish a large number of Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem...
11. Demands that the occupying Power, Israel, release Palestinian prisoners and detainees including women, children and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council;
12. Calls upon the occupying Power, Israel, to lift checkpoints and open all crossing points and borders according to relevant international agreements;
13. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, immediately lift the siege imposed on the occupied Gaza Strip, and that it open all borders and crossing points, and allow the free access of fuel, humanitarian needs and medicine in addition to all necessary materials and equipment needed for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Gaza as agreed upon at the International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Economy for the Reconstruction of Gaza, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on 2 March 2009;

4. Follow-up to the report of the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict
Resolution A/HRC/13/L.30
Votes against: Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Ukraine, and United States of America
Abstentions: UK

And what is it we don't like about this one1?

The Human Rights Council...
8. Calls upon the High Commissioner to explore and determine the appropriate modalities for the establishment of an escrow fund for the provision of reparations to the Palestinians who suffered loss and damage as a result of unlawful acts attributable to the State of Israel during the military operations conducted from December 2008 to January 2009;
9. Decides to establish a committee of independent experts in international humanitarian and human rights laws to monitor and assess any domestic, legal or other proceedings undertaken by both the Government of Israel and the Palestinian side...
13. Invites the International Committee of the Red Cross and interested parties and stakeholders to consider the launching of an urgent discussion on the legality of the use of certain munitions, as recommended by the Fact-Finding Mission;
14. Requests the Secretary-General to present a comprehensive report on the progress made in the implementation of the recommendations of the Fact-Finding Mission by all concerned parties...
15. Requests the High Commissioner to present a report on the implementation of the present resolution to the Council at its fifteenth session;

Of course, we also backed out of the initial vote in the Human Rights Council on the Goldstone Report - a report which has been endorsed by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and almost the whole of the 'international community'. Bar the United States of America.'

• 1. This, I assume: 'As we made clear in the Security Council open debate on the situation in the Middle East yesterday, the UN Fact Finding Mission on Gaza does have its flaws.
  • Neither the report, nor the resolution before us, adequately recognises Israel’s right to protect its citizens or pays sufficient attention to Hamas’s actions.
  • The report makes broad assertions about detailed interpretation of international law with which we differ.
  • Because Israel did not cooperate with the Mission, which we regret, the report lacks an authoritative Israeli perspective on the events in question, so crucial to determining the legality of actions.
  For these reasons we cannot fully endorse the report and its recommendations and cannot vote for this resolution as tabled. From Peter Gooderham's statement to the UNHRC