The UN Human Rights Council today passed a one-sided and harshly worded resolution concerning the hostilities in Gaza that singled out Israel for condemnation.
The resolution, calling for a “Rapid Response Team” to monitor the violation of Palestinian human rights by Israel, was passed after a split opened up between Western countries and the others over the wording. Some Western countries said the resolution put forward by Arab and African states was too one-sided and failed to clearly recognize the role that rocket attacks launched by Palestinian militants played in triggering the offensive.
The 47 member states in the UN’s Human Rights Council normally take their decisions by consensus. However, Canada called for a vote on this resolution. Thirty-three African, Asian, Arab and Latin American countries voted for the resolution. Thirteen European states abstained, while Canada was the only country to vote against.
Click here for a webcast of Canada’s statement about the resolution in Real Player format.
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