Jewish Life Digital Edition April 2014 | Página 10

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NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

UNHRC DISCRIMINATES

AGAINST ISRAEL

T EX T C OM P I L E D B Y L I Z S A M UE L S

Jimmy Carter

REJECTS BDS
Jimmy Carter, whose book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid did more
to legitimise the apartheid smear than anything published by the
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, is now publicly
opposed to boycotts against Israel, including boycotts limited to
the West Bank. Carter said he and “The Elders” – a group of former
world leaders that includes outspoken Israel critics such as Desmond
Tutu, among others – had discussed BDS and decided against it. “We
decided not to publicly endorse any kind of embargo, or so forth,
against Israeli invasion, or occupying troops in Palestine,” Carter
said. The move represents a significant break with Carter’s previous
rhetoric on Israel, especially since the publication of his book in 2006.
After all, if he still believes that Israel is an apartheid state, why would
he not support the same tactics of boycott and sanctions that brought
down the apartheid regime in South Africa? But Carter’s rejection of
BDS should not be interpreted as a conversion to Zionism. In the same
interview, Carter endorsed the policy of labelling products from the
West Bank, “so that the buyers can decide whether they want to buy
them or not”, and rejected the Israeli demand that the Palestinians
recognise Israel as a Jewish state.
Article supplied by HonestReporting.com

6 JEWISH LIFE

ISSUE 72

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) was
condemned for consistently singling out Israel for criticism.
At a recent assembly, the United States was the only country to vote against five anti-Israel UN resolutions. Four of
the resolutions were directed against Israel’s treatment of
the Palestinians, with one calling on companies to boycott
Israel. The fifth was directed at Israel’s control of the Golan
Heights and its perceived treatment of residents there.
Paula Schriefer, head of the US delegation to the UNHRC,
criticised UNHRC Agenda Item 7, which mandates that Israel
must be discussed at every UNHRC meeting – a distinction no
other country shares. She said the US is “deeply troubled by
the council’s standalone agenda item directed against Israel
and by the many repetitive and one-sided resolutions under
this agenda item”. She added, “Only Israel, a vibrant and open
democracy, received such treatment.”
World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer said it is “shameful that an important UN body should join the hypocritical
international campaign against Israel, and it is even more
lamentable that so many countries did not have the courage
to vote against this one-sided resolution proposed by some
of the worst offenders with respect to human rights”.

POLLARD’S RELEASE NOW BEING
considered to keep talks going
American officials are anxious that the talks between Israel
and Palestinian Authority could soon completely collapse.
With the two sides deadlocked, and no progress having been
made for weeks, administration of president Barack Obama
is desperately trying to come up with a formula that will keep
both sides talking.
The talks, which began last summer, were scheduled to have
concluded at the beginning of April with a framework for negotiations, to be written by secretary of state John Kerry. But PA
chief Mahmoud Abbas has made it clear that he will not concede on the Palestinian’s ‘core’ demands – an Israeli withdrawal
from all of Judea, Samaria, and much of Jerusalem; free immigration of the descendants of Arabs who fled Israel in 1948 back
into Israel; and no recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.
Netanyahu has told diplomats that under these circumstances
there is no way he could get an agreement with the PA approved by his government.
To ‘sweeten’ the deal, it is understood the US is considering
various ‘creative’ ideas to kick-start the talks. Among them is
an idea Netanyahu himself proposed – of releasing Jonathan
Pollard, wh