NETANYAHU ATTACKS UN FOR IGNORING PALESTINIAN ‘INCITEMENT’
Tel Aviv, 7 Rabi’ul Awwal 1436/29 December 2014 (MINA) – Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised the UN for ignoring Palestinian “incitement” while remaining prepared to consider a unilateral agreement to be “imposed” on Israel.
Speaking at his weekly cabinet meeting, the Israeli prime minister said that the UN’s moves will lead to “terrorist operations” putting Israeli security at risk.
According to Netanyahu, Iran is making increased efforts to expand “operations” in the West Bank, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Monday.
He quoted the Ambassador of the Palestinian Authority in Tehran who, he claimed, is excited about the instructions issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for providing the West Bank with weapons.
“I quote the statements of the Palestinian ambassador: ‘The Zionist regime is a cancerous tumour that must be destroyed sooner or later.’
I emphasise that the person who said this is not a member of Hamas, but the Palestinian Authority ambassador to Tehran.”
What, asked Netanyahu, is the UN doing in response to that? Answering his own question, the prime minister said that the international body is encouraging such “incitement”.
One London-based commentator pointed out that Netanyahu is being disingenuous as well as cynical in his criticism, given that members of his own ruling coalition in Israel regularly make outrageous statements against Palestinians in the occupied territories as well as in Israel itself.
“Indeed,” said MEMO’s senior editor, “Netanyahu’s government goes beyond inciting its settlers to commit illegal acts and violates human rights and international laws itself on a daily basis.”
When the Israeli prime minister complains that the UN Human Rights Council has passed 20 resolutions this year against Israel and only one decision on both Iran and Syria, added Ibrahim Hewitt, he misses the point.
“Israel claims to be a democracy and so should Netanyahu not moan if his country is being held to account against internationally-accepted democratic standards, something that neither Iran nor Syria claim to uphold.”
That doesn’t mean that the latter should not be answerable to the international community, noted Hewitt, but Israel can’t behave with impunity and then complain when reminded of its legal obligations as an occupying power. (T/P002/R03)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
