Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations at YU
Elizabeth Bentley
Issue date: 11/25/09 Section: Israel
Shalev praised the United States for its support. "Together with us was very important countries, the first one to be mentioned is your country," she told the audience of 250 students and faculty members. "The United States… stood firm with us… by standing with us very clearly and very firmly and voting against the resolution."
The ambassador claimed that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process would be stalled as long as the Goldstone report is under consideration. "The adoption of the Goldstone report by the General Assembly is another blow to the peace process," said Shalev. "We are not going to sit as long as the report is on the table and we are accused of all these war crimes."
The consistency of the Human Rights Council's accusations against Israel prevents the nation from accepting the Goldstone report, said Shalev. "This council has adopted more resolutions against Israel than resolutions against all other countries put together," she iterated. "So how can we Israel believe that this is an objective and fair council?"
According to Shalev, the council refused to look into the Hamas rocket attacks that spurred Operation Cast Lead. "These eight years that we in Israel and especially the people in the Southern part of Israel suffered almost daily attacks of the Hamas and terrorists, mortar shells and rockets into these areas, the Human Rights Council rejected any investigation," she recalled. "At that time, our rights of life and dignity and self defense did not count in the eyes of the council."
Shalev questioned the integrity of most countries belonging to the Human Rights Commission. "The Human Rights Commission is known to be… dominated by non-democratic countries, many of whom are hostile to Israel and… and are not the greatest champions of human rights," said Shalev.
The ambassador stressed the morality of the Israeli army. "I know personally that our army has a moral code," she avowed. "And there is no soldier in the Israeli army who did all the terrible things that are attributed."
"The Goldstone Report… denies our human right of self-defense," Shalev asserted. "As a lawyer, as an Israeli, as a Zionist, as someone who is trying to read it analytically, I cannot see it as honest and fair fact-finding."
The ambassador claimed that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process would be stalled as long as the Goldstone report is under consideration. "The adoption of the Goldstone report by the General Assembly is another blow to the peace process," said Shalev. "We are not going to sit as long as the report is on the table and we are accused of all these war crimes."
The consistency of the Human Rights Council's accusations against Israel prevents the nation from accepting the Goldstone report, said Shalev. "This council has adopted more resolutions against Israel than resolutions against all other countries put together," she iterated. "So how can we Israel believe that this is an objective and fair council?"
According to Shalev, the council refused to look into the Hamas rocket attacks that spurred Operation Cast Lead. "These eight years that we in Israel and especially the people in the Southern part of Israel suffered almost daily attacks of the Hamas and terrorists, mortar shells and rockets into these areas, the Human Rights Council rejected any investigation," she recalled. "At that time, our rights of life and dignity and self defense did not count in the eyes of the council."
Shalev questioned the integrity of most countries belonging to the Human Rights Commission. "The Human Rights Commission is known to be… dominated by non-democratic countries, many of whom are hostile to Israel and… and are not the greatest champions of human rights," said Shalev.
The ambassador stressed the morality of the Israeli army. "I know personally that our army has a moral code," she avowed. "And there is no soldier in the Israeli army who did all the terrible things that are attributed."
"The Goldstone Report… denies our human right of self-defense," Shalev asserted. "As a lawyer, as an Israeli, as a Zionist, as someone who is trying to read it analytically, I cannot see it as honest and fair fact-finding."
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