The High Commissioner should unequivocally condemn the terrorist activities
of Hamas and its partners, and their total disregard of all precautions to
avoid loss of civilian life and damage to property. In doing so, the High
Commissioner would do justice to human rights, instead of whitewashing Hamas
and its terrorist partners.

Response to High Commissioner Navi Pillay at UN Human Rights Council
21 Nov 2012
It is a highly unbalanced text, revealing a strong political bias at the
expense of concern for the human rights of civilians.
(Communicated by the Spokesperson of the Permanent Representative of Israel
to the UN in Geneva)
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Foreign+Relations/Israel+and+the+UN/Issues/Response_to_High_Commissioner_Pillay_UN+HRC21-Nov-2012.htm

The Permanent Representative of Israel was acutely dismayed by the statement
of the spokesperson of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, on 20
November 2012.

It is a highly unbalanced text, revealing a strong political bias at the
expense of concern for the human rights of civilians.

The High Commissioner ignores the fact that Hamas and other terrorist
organizations are deliberately failing to distinguish - at all times -
between civilians and combatants, and miserably taking no precautions or any
possible measures to avoid the loss of civilian life and damage to civilian
property in Israel.

Moreover, Hamas and its partners fire their rockets from densely populated
areas in Gaza, using their civilian population as human shields. Hamas and
Islamic Jihad are using public properties, such as communication centers,
schools, mosques and sport stadiums as launching pads or operational
centers.

In this context, the Permanent Representative of Israel wishes to draw
attention to the extrajudicial and summary execution of six Palestinians in
Gaza with total disregard to their human rights (20 November).

And yet, the High Commissioner directs her criticism and harsh language to
Israel. There should be no doubt as to Israel’s commitment to its
obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. The High
Commissioner fails to distinguish between politics and human rights.

The High Commissioner should unequivocally condemn the terrorist activities
of Hamas and its partners, and their total disregard of all precautions to
avoid loss of civilian life and damage to property. In doing so, the High
Commissioner would do justice to human rights, instead of whitewashing Hamas
and its terrorist partners.