'Netanyahu says in closed-door meeting that Israel may sever ties with UNHRC'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said Monday that Israel is mulling whether or not it should continue cooperation with the UN Human Rights Council, after the body issued a report last week in which it said that Israel's actions in last summer's Gaza conflict may constitute war crimes. Army Radio reported that in a closed-door meeting, Netanyahu referred to the UNHRC commission of inquiry which issued the report as 'a hypocritical committee.' Former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman, who was also present at the meeting, then allegedly said to Netanyahu, 'As foreign minister, I canceled Israel's membership in the Human Rights Council. Why did you change that decision?' Netanyahu reportedly answered that 'in light of the [Gaza] report, we will consider whether or not to stay in the Human Rights Council.' As foreign minister, Liberman decided to sever ties with the UNHRC in 2012 following the body's decision to dispatch a fact-finding team to Israel to probe the impact of the settlements on Palestinian human rights. Netanyahu decided to renew cooperation with the UN body in 2013 after a boycott of a year-and-a-half. The UNHRC Gaza report's co-authors, former New York Supreme Court judge Mary McGowan Davis and legal expert Doudou Diène of Senegal, were presenting the document at the UNHRC's 29th session on Monday. Some 1,000 pro-Israel activists were protesting outside of the UNHRC headquarters in Geneva on Monday against the presentation of the report. Opponents of the report, including the State of Israel, are upset that it appears to equate the IDF with the Hamas terrorist group. They see it as one more biased report by the UNHRC against Israel.

'Netanyahu says in closed-door meeting that Israel may sever ties with UNHRC'

Army Radio reports that prime minister told Liberman that Israel mulling a halt in cooperation with UN body following release of Gaza report.

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