demonstration in Geneva
demonstration in GenevaUN WATCH

Hundreds of supporters of Israel from all over Europe demonstrated in front of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.

The demonstration took place as the Human Rights Council debated a resolution accusing Israel of war crimes.

The demonstration was initiated by UN Watch. 24 organizations participated in the protest from Sweden, Ireland, France, Belgium, Israel, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Aviva Raz Schechter, told the participants, "Welcome to Geneva. I thank the people from all over Europe who show their support for Israel and say: 'We are tired of the conduct of the UN Human Rights Council. We are not prepared to accept more double standards against Israel.""

"Anti-Semitism is raising its head all over the world and this council is working intensely against one state - Israel. At this very moment the Council is conducting discussions that deal with matters that are against Israel and against the Jews, and they allow anti-Israel and BDS organizations to speak out against the only democracy in the Middle East.

She wondered about the organization's double standards. "On Thursday, a terrorist organization fired rockets at Tel Aviv. Yesterday two people were murdered and another wounded in a terror attack, and this council does not let the facts confuse it and closes its ears to the facts. In the past year Hamas has been carrying out violent demonstrations along the border with Israel, using its civilians, including women and children, as human shields and as weapons. The authors of the report did not understand the facts, did not understand how the IDF was operating, and did not understand how the Israeli justice system was working."

"Israel will soon celebrate 71 years of independence and confront all the enemies. Israel continues to be a humanitarian country that extends its hand in peace and in the same breath is also making sure to protect its security against those who seek to destroy it on all fronts. From here, from Geneva, I want to say loud and clear: Am Yisrael Chai!" The ambassador concluded.