Palestinian officials hailed four pro-Palestinian rights resolutions passed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as a true investment in justice.
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi welcomed the resolutions, thanking all those who voted in their favor for assuming a principled, courageous and just stand.
“On behalf of the Palestinian leadership and the people of Palestine, we express our deep appreciation to the members of the United Nations Human Rights Council who assumed a principled, courageous and just stand and overwhelmingly voted in favor of four UNHRC resolutions regarding the occupied State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, at the 34th regular session of the UNHRC,” said Ashrawi in a statement.
“The adoption of the UNHRC resolutions, including motions calling on states 'not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connection with settlements’ and urging business enterprises 'to avoid contributing to the establishment, maintenance, development or consolidation of Israeli settlements,’ constitutes a true investment in justice and signifies the international community's commitment to seeking accountability for Israel's unlawful unilateralism and violations of international law,” she said.
UNHRC adopted on Friday four resolutions concerning the human rights situation in Palestine.
A resolution on ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, was adopted by a vote of 30 in favor, two against and 15 abstentions; and the resolution on the inalienable, permanent and unqualified right of the Palestinian people to self-determination was adopted by a vote of 43 in favor, two against and two abstentions.
By a vote of 41 in favor, two against and four abstentions, the Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to present, at the thirty-seventh session of the Council, a report on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, with a particular focus on the factors perpetuating the arbitrary detention of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails.
The Council decided, by a vote of 36 in favor, two against and nine abstentions to convene, at its thirty-sixth session, a panel discussion on “Israeli settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,” and requested the High Commissioner to present, at the thirty-seventh session, a report on the policies and practices linked to the settlement enterprise that discriminated against the Palestinian population in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.
The only two negative votes in all four resolutions were the United States and Israel.
“By voting against the UNHRC resolutions, the US is complicit in the military occupation of Palestine,” said Ashrawi. “Rather than acting in accordance with international law, democracy and human rights, the US made the decision to isolate itself at the expense of Palestinian rights, lives and lands.”
The PLO officials stressed that it is “up to governments worldwide to put an end to Israel's continued annexation of Palestinian land and its destruction of the two-state solution,” calling “on the international community to intervene immediately and to exhibit the political will necessary to make Israel cease and desist its flagrant violations once and for all.”
