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A30 world news
Diabierna 29 Juli 2022

Israel, US decry rights monitor's remarks as 'antisemitic'

(AP) — Israel, the Unit- crimes there, focusing on Is-
ed States and Britain on rael's repeated military opera-
Thursday criticized an ex- tions in Gaza and the expan-
pert commissioned by the sion of Jewish settlements in
U.N. human rights body east Jerusalem and the occu-
to examine the situation pied West Bank.
in the Middle East, accus-
ing him of antisemitic re- The commission is the first
marks. to have an open-ended man-
date from the U.N. rights
Miloon Kothari was quoted body, and critics say such per-
in the media as questioning manent scrutiny shows anti-
Israel's right to be a U.N. Israel bias in the 47-member-
member state and alluding to state council. Proponents
a "Jewish lobby." The com- support the commission as a
ments stoked longtime accu- way to keep tabs on injustices
sations by Israel, the U.S. and faced by Palestinians under
others that the rights body is decades of Israeli rule.
biased against Israel. In an interview published
Monday by Mondoweiss,
Kothari, from India, is one of an online publication criti-
three members of the Com- cal of Israel's policies toward
mission of Inquiry on oc- Palestinians, Kothari spoke
cupied Palestinian territory, about the commission's work
created by the U.N.-backed and mandate. He cited a lack respect — the Israeli govern- quoted to imply that 'social anti-Semitism, Deborah Lip-
Human Rights Council last of cooperation from Israel's ment does not respect — its media' was controlled by the stadt, called antisemitism and
year. The commission quick- government. own obligations as a U.N. Jewish lobby." anti-Israel bias a "poisonous
ly countered that his com- member state," he added. Reached by email, Kothari venom" that has affected in-
ments had been deliberately Asked about criticism by referred to Pillay's letter and ternational discourse for too
misquoted. some governments, includ- Pillay, in a letter to the rights declined to comment. long — including at U.N. in-
ing that of Canada, he replied council's president that was Keren Hajioff, a spokeswom- stitutions.
The commission, headed by that he was "very disheart- made public Thursday, said an for Israeli Prime Minister
former U.N. human rights ened by the social media that Kothari's comments "seem Yair Lapid, said the interna- They said Kothari's com-
chief Navi Pillay, was set up is controlled largely by — to have been taken out of tional community should ments were "outrageous, in-
after the 11-day war last year whether it's the Jewish lobby context" and that the com- be "outraged" over Kothari's appropriate, and corrosive"
between Israel and the mili- or it's specific NGOs — a lot mission "feels it necessary to comments. and echoed "age-old antise-
tant Hamas group in Gaza. of money is being thrown clarify certain issues given mitic tropes." Britain's am-
The fighting killed at least into trying to discredit us." the seriousness of the accusa- "His racist remarks about 'the bassador in Geneva, Simon
261 people in Gaza and 14 The commission's role, Ko- tions." Jewish Lobby' that controls Manley, called them "unac-
people in Israel, according to thari said, was to look into "The commission does not the media and his question- ceptable and offensive."
the U.N. rights office. humanitarian law, human question the status or United ing Israel's right to exist as a
rights law, and criminal law. Nations membership of ei- member of the family of na- Council spokesman Rolan-
Israel's policies in the Pales- "On all three counts, Israel is ther of the concerned states tions echo the darkest days of do Gomez cited the Human
tinian territories have long in systematic violation of all of its mandate," Pillay wrote. antisemitism," she said. Rights Council's "long track
faced international scrutiny. the legislation," he said. In a statement, the U.S. am- record speaking out against
Last year, the prosecutor of "I would go as far as to raise She maintained Kothari's bassador to the rights coun- all forms of discrimination
the International Criminal the question as why are they comments on efforts to dis- cil, Michele Taylor, and the and racism and vehemently
Court launched an inves- even a member of the United credit the commission mem- State Department's special condemns such abhorrent
tigation into alleged Israeli Nations, because they don't bers were "deliberately mis- envoy to monitor and combat acts."

UK Supreme Court refuses to intervene in life-support battle

Archie Battersbee's parents seen indications that Archie,
filed an urgent appeal to the who is attached to a ventila-
Supreme Court on Thurs- tor, had twice tried to breathe
day seeking to halt rulings by independently in the past few
lower courts to allow doctors days.
to legally withdraw life sup-
port from their son. Two High Court judges and
three judges at the Court of
Archie's mother, Hollie Appeal agreed with the doc-
Dance, found him uncon- tors. Appeal judge Andrew
scious at home on Apr. 7. McFarlane said Monday that
Dance has said she believed medical staff had seen "no
he may have been taking part signs of life" in Archie.
in an online challenge.
Dance and her partner, Paul
Doctors treating the teen at Battersbee, then took their
the Royal London Hospital battle to the Supreme Court.
believe he is brain dead, and The Supreme Court said in
say continued life-support a statement Thursday that a
treatment is not in his best panel of three judges refused
(AP) — The parents of a ter suffering brain damage to intervene in a life-sup- interests. to give the couple permission
12-year-old boy who was have failed to persuade port treatment battle. to appeal.
left in a comatose state af- the U.K. Supreme Court Dance argued that she had