PLO ambassador to the UN in Geneva Ibrahim Khraishi on Monday called on the United Nations to accept Palestine as a member state, as he spoke at the 21st session of that body’s Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“The Palestinian people very soon are due to meet the dawn of their freedom,” Khraishi said. “The occupying force must take into account this reality. We are going to stay on Palestinian land.”
He added, “We are confident that our state will be set up [as] a fully fledged member of the UN.”
He spoke in advance of a renewed bid by the PLO to advance the cause of unilateral Palestinian statehood at the UN, by pushing for the General Assembly to recognize it as a non-member state.
He was one of dozens of representatives who spoke in support of the Palestinians and against Israel, as the UNHRC held a debate under Agenda Item 7, which mandates that the issue of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians be debated at each session.
Although countries took Israel to task for its continued “occupation” of the West Bank and Gaza Strip with sharp rhetoric, the council did not pass any resolutions against Israel.
The council has been heavily criticized for overly focusing on Israel, and in past sessions has often approved more resolutions against Israel than against any other country.
Khraishi accused Israel of violating international law and humanitarian law in its treatment of Palestinians.
“Occupation is the main cause of the suffering of the Palestinian people,” he declared, adding, “The Judaization of east Jerusalem is continuing.”
He further accused Israel of continued settlement-building in the West Bank, of holding Palestinians prisoner in its jails and of not halting settler violence.
Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha-Kang also took Israel to task for not doing enough to halt settler violence.
“There is a need to ensure accountability for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. This includes bringing to justice Israeli settlers who perpetrate violence against Palestinians and their property,” she said.
She added that her office welcomed assurances from Israel’s public security minister that the police would address these “nationalistic hate crimes.”
“We look forward to immediate and effective action by Israeli authorities to prevent, investigate and punish any incident of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians or their property,” she said.
Kang also argued that Israel and the Palestinians needed to do more to implement a report penned by South African jurist Richard Goldstone on Israel’s incursion into Gaza in the winter of 2008- 2009, known as Operation Cast Lead.
“It has been nearly three yeas since this council endorsed the fact-finding mission’s recommendations. Yet not one person has been indicted for any of the incidents documented by the fact-finding mission,” she said.
Israel, which has cut off ties with the council, was not present.
The United States did not address the council.