Israel calls on UNHRC to stop 'biased' Gaza war probe

Ambassador to the UN in Geneva responds to Goldstone follow-up, stating council should spend time on "real" human rights violations.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
UNHRC (photo credit: Associated Press)
UNHRC
(photo credit: Associated Press)
Israel on Monday called for an end to the UN Human Rights Councils "obsessively biased" investigations into its actions during Operation Cast Lead, Reuters reported.
A bloc of Islamic countries replied that the UNHRC must continue to apply pressure on Israel to make them halt there "aggression" in the region.
RELATED:Israeli officials slam UNHRC's 'biased' flotilla reportOpinion: UNHRC abuses human rightsIsrael's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Aharon Leshno Yaar said during a council discussion that Operation Cast Lead was not unprovoked, but rather came "in response to years of attacks by Hamas terrorists."
He added that the UNHRC "has continually been one-sided and obsessively biased....It did not matter that steps were taken by Israel to protect its citizens while limiting damage whenever possible to Palestinian civilians."
Last week, the UNHRC released a report criticizing Israel and Hamas for failing to properly investigate violations committed during the conflict that were itemized in the Goldstone Report.
Leshno Yaar saids that Israel was looking into its own actions during the war and checking if misconduct was being properly punished.
"Given these processes, and Israel's significant efforts, it is time to bring activities from this hall to a conclusion," the ambassador said, adding that the UNHRC should spend more time investigating "real" humans rights violations.