Israel has overcome a coordinated effort by Arab states to thwart its election as vice chair of a United Nations committee dealing with issues such as Palestinian refugees and human rights, The Times of Israel reported.
Israel not represented at meeting due to Foreign Ministry strike; US takes particular issue with the council’s Agenda Item 7, which mandates that Israel must be debated at every session of the forum.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) welcomed representatives of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) on 20 March at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Wednesday presented German Chancellor Angela Merkel with its distinguished ADL Joseph Prize for Human Rights in recognition of her “abiding commitment to promoting and protecting human rights at home and abroad.”
Richard Falk says more than 11,000 Palestinians have lost their right to live in Jerusalem since 1996; accuses Israel of reducing prospects of US brokered peace process by building in West Bank settlements.
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) has called on the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva to recognize as violations of religious freedom any bans or limitations on the right to practice Jewish and Muslim ritual slaughter of animals and male circumcision
The human rights group Amnesty International has alleged in a new report that Israeli troops were regularly using excessive, reckless violence in the West Bank. An Israeli government spokesman said the report “smacks of bias, discrimination and racism'' and accused Amnesty of wanting to deprive Israel of the right to self-defense.