Former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations and currently Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs President Dr. Dore Gold spoke today during a mass demonstration organized by UNWATCH before the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The Council is currently holding its annual debate where decisions are made against the State of Israel and its policy, with the focus this time being the May 2018 riots at the border fence of the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Gold drew a direct line between the rocket fire on Tel Aviv on Thursday and UN policy towards Israel. "The discriminatory report by Judge Goldstone, where he effectively acquitted Hamas of its actions, gave a green light to the continued firing on Israel. Is anyone here in Geneva talking about the human rights of the farmers in the western Negev towns whose fields were burned by Hamas?" Dr. Gold asked those gathered.
He cited many examples of the UN's unilateral approach vis-à-vis Israel as opposed to other countries, saying "the Special Council under Article Four of the Geneva Convention has never convened to discuss violation of the Convention but in cases against Israel. There are Western countries that have developed various combat methods for urban warfare. The use of artillery and air force to fight guerrilla forces against them. There were countries that used carpet bombing in various theaters as the Russians did in Chechnya and Syria."
Dr. Gold noted the battle in Jenin where Israel preferred to endanger its soldiers and not to harm the civilian population in the refugee camp, endangered the lives of IDF soldiers.
"Israel doesn't ask for international forces to defend it, it will do it itself, but Israel wants one thing from the international community - the truth. At the UN, Israel has a hard time getting it," Gold concluded.