Tag Archive for UN

| July 18, 2013
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Samantha Power commits US to push for Israeli seat on UNSC

Obama’s nominee for UN ambassador, tells Senate hearing she will combat ‘unacceptable bias’ against Jewish state and push for a Security Council seat to secure greater integration of Israeli public servants in the UN.

By Yitzhak Benhorin

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama’s decision to appoint Samantha Power as the American ambassador to the UN has raised concerns in Jerusalem due to her past statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but during her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday Power said “The United States has no greater friend in the world than the State of Israel” and pledged to combat the “unacceptable bias” against Israel at the global body. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| July 17, 2013
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Obama’s Ambassador nominee to UN, Power sees ‘unacceptable bias’ against Israel at UN

Power said at her Senate confirmation hearing that she would work to eliminate the unacceptable bias and attacks, which she believes is the product of “disproportionate” attention given to Israel.

By MICHAEL WILNER, REUTERS

 

 

 

WASHINGTON — Facing a Senate hearing Monday on her nomination to be US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power vowed to provide a full-throated defense of Israel at the international body, calling for an end to the “unacceptable bias and attacks” often leveled toward the Jewish state.

Samantha Power testifies on Capitol Hill, July 17, 2013

Samantha Power testifies on Capitol Hill, July 17, 2013 – Photo: Reuters

Power said she would work to eliminate such bias, which she believes is the product of “disproportionate” attention given to Israel.

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Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| June 27, 2013
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UN demands Assad & Rebels halt all military activity in Golan Heights

UN Security Council extends mandate of UNDOF deployed on Syrian-Israeli border.

By Reuters and

 

 

The UN Security Council has demanded a halt to all military activity by the Syrian government and opposition fighters on the Golan Heights and called for stepped up measures to protect peacekeepers who have been caught in crossfire.

UN peacekeeping soldiers from Austria near the Quneitra border crossing between Israel and Syria, June 2013. - Photo by Reuters

UN peacekeeping soldiers from Austria near the Quneitra border crossing between Israel and Syria, June 2013. – Photo by Reuters

A resolution adopted unanimously by the council on Thursday extended the mandate of the UN force monitoring the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights until December 31. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , ,
| June 27, 2013
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Arab countries fail to block an Israel sponsored UN conference

Despite Arab states’ attempt to block Israeli initiative

, Israel’s UN ambassador holds special event showcasing Israeli products & technology in bid to aid developing countries.

By Yitzhak Benhorin

WASHINGTON – Arab states have failed to block Israel from leading a UN conference in which advanced tools would be showcased for developing countries.

המזכ"ל באן והשגריר פרושאור בכנס "כחול לבן" (צילום: שחר עזרן)

UN Sec. Gen Ban Ki-moon with Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor and others at the Blue & White Conference – Photo: Shachar Azran

Despite the fact that 141 countries voted in favor of the event a number of weeks ago, opponents from Tunisia, Bahrain and Kuwait luanched Wednesday a last ditch effort to block the event, but failed.  Continue Reading »

Category: Innovations & Discoveries, Israel News | Tags: , ,
| June 21, 2013
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UN: Israel tortures Palestinian children & uses them as shields

UNICEF accuses IDF of torturing Palestinian children in custody, using  them as informants & human shields.

By Reuters

 

A United Nations human rights body accused Israeli forces on Thursday of mistreating Palestinian children, including by torturing those in custody and using others as human shields.

Palestinian boy in Hebron – Photo: AFP

Palestinian children in the Gaza and the West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 war, are routinely denied registration of their birth and access to health care, decent schools and clean water, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child said.

“Palestinian children arrested by (Israeli) military and police are systematically subject to degrading treatment, and often to acts of torture, are interrogated in Hebrew, a language they did not understand, and sign confessions in Hebrew in order to be released,” it said in a report. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| June 17, 2013
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Fiji troops replaced UN Austrian peacekeepers who fled from the Golan

Nearly 170 Fiji  soldiers to join UNDOF on Israel-Syria border after Austria’s soldiers withdrew before replacements took over.

By Ynet

 

The United Nations announced Monday that 170 peacekeepers from Fiji will join the UN’s Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) stationed on the Israel– Syria border by the end of the month.

עזבו את הגבול ונכנסו לישראל. נסיגת הכוח האוסטרי (צילום: EPA)

Fiji force to replace Austrians – Photo: EPA

They will be replacing Austrian forces who have pulled out of the area following an escalation in the fighting between Assad’s forces and the rebels.

The Austrian troops left the Golan Heights area last week. Austria’s dramatic decision to withdraw from the area led the UN’s Security Council to harshly condemn the spread of violence to the demilitarized buffer zone. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , , ,
| June 16, 2013
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Covert Armed American Security for UN Personnel in Judea

Video shows armed Americans providing security for UN vehicle that was on an unknown assignment in the Arab village of Walajeh, near Bethlehem . A new phenomenon?

By Gil Ronen

 

Armed American guards provided security for a UN vehicle that was on an unknown assignment in the Arab village of Walajeh, near Bethlehem, several days ago.

Screenshot

Screenshot

 

A Jewish man – a senior officer in the IDF reserves – noticed the unusual sight and got out of his car to videotape it. He did not receive clear answers regarding the identity of the security men.

The security detail used impressive bulletproofed black SUVs that caught the reserve officer’s attention. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| June 14, 2013
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UN’s Chief Again Calls Israeli Settlements ‘illegal’

 

UN’s Ban: Israel is again undermining progress toward two-state solution.

By MICHAEL WILNER, JERUSALEM POST CORRESPONDENT

 

 

 

WASHINGTON — United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon remains “deeply concerned” over plans to construct hundreds of new housing units in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, his spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.

The Itamar settlement in the West Bank.

The Itamar settlement in the West Bank. – Photo: Abed Omar Qusini / Reuters

“These are unhelpful decisions that undermine progress towards the two-state solution,” the statement reads. “They constitute a deeply worrisome trend at a moment of ongoing efforts to re-launch Ipeace negotiations.”

The note referred specifically to the settlement of Itamar– “deep into the West Bank,” it says– as well as the 1,000 new settlement units planned in east Jerusalem. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| June 8, 2013
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Palestinians condemn Israel for quitting the ultra-bias UNHRC

 

Canada & the U.S. lauds Jerusalem’s move to re-engage with the overtly anti-Israel United Nations Human Rights Council while Pakistan and the Palestinians cynically remain skeptical.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF

 

 

Palestinians attacked Israel as the only country to cut its ties with the United Nations Human Rights Council, in spite of Jerusalem’s efforts to resume those relations, during a Geneva debate on the matter Friday.

UNHRC

“Israel is the only state that has expressed its disengagement from the council,” the PLO deputy charge d’affairs Imad Zuhairi told the UNHRC.

Jerusalem cut is ties with the the UNHRC in March 2012 to protest council actions which it considers show a persistent bias against Israel.

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Category: Israel News | Tags: , , ,
| June 7, 2013
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Putin: Russia prepared to replace Austrian (UN) peacekeepers in Golan Heights

Putin commits Russian troops just a day after Vienna announced it would recall its forces from the UN monitoring force, due to worsening fighting in Syria.

By , and Reuters
 

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is ready to send peacekeepers to the Golan Heights to replace Austrian forces after Vienna said it would recall its troops from a UN monitoring force due to worsening fighting in Syria.

Quneitra

Clashes at Quneitra on the Israel-Syria border caused brush fire that crossed into Israel. – Photo: Gil Eliyahu

“We could replace the leaving Austrian contingent in this region on the border between Israeli troops and the Syrian army,” Putin told the RIA Novosti news agency. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , , ,
| June 7, 2013
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Jerusalem to UN: Replace Austrian peacekeepers that withdrew from Golan Heights

Israel says it does regret Austria’s decision to pull its more than 300 troops out of the 1,100-strong UN force following clashes at Quneitra, but expects the UN to maintain its mandate on the Israel-Syria border.

 

Israel demanded on Thursday that the United Nations replace the Austrian soldiers that were pulled out of a UN peacekeeping force on the Golan Heights as soon as possible.

Quneitra Syria

Smoke rises from a fire as a result of fighting in the Syrian village of Quneitra near the border with Israel. – Photo: AP

Following the battles at Quneitra in Syria early on Thursday morning, Austria announced it was withdrawing its troops that serve in the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , ,
| May 28, 2013
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Austria says their UN peacekeeping troops will stay on Golan…for now

Vienna warned it would pull their UN peacekeepers if EU decides to arm the Syrian rebels.

By REUTERS

 

 

Austria retracted a threat to pull 380 peacekeepers from the UN buffer zone between Syria and Israel, saying on Tuesday that only Britain and France – not the whole European Union – were ready to arm Syrian rebels.

IDF soldier in the Golan overlooking Syria - Photo NIR ELIAS-Reuters

IDF soldier in the Golan overlooking Syria – Photo: NIR ELIAS-Reuters

Vienna had led efforts to extend an EU arms embargo on Syria, arguing that sending more weapons to the region would only fan the fighting, dash hopes for a peace deal and make Austrian peacekeeping troops potential targets for retribution.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| May 23, 2013
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In the Theater of the Absurd: Syria charges Israel for health violations at UN

 

At an official UN’s World Health Organization conference, Syria accuses Israel of conducting medical experiments on Syrian prisoners, burying nuclear waste on Golan Heights, placing “nuclear land mines” on cease-fire line and some more craziness.  

Israel: It’s absurd how the U.N. is being cynically abused.

By Amir Mizroch

 

In an act of macabre political theater, Syria presented a report to the U.N.’s World Health Organization on Monday slamming what it says is the “deterioration of the health conditions of the Syrian population in the occupied Golan as a result of the suppressive practices of the Israeli occupation.”

The Quneitra Crossing between Syria and the Israeli Golan Heights - Photo AP

The Quneitra Crossing between Syria and the Israeli Golan Heights – Photo: AP

In a report to the WHO’s 66th World Health Assembly, Syria’s Health Ministry said that Syrians were being deprived of medical treatment for rejecting Israeli citizenship, and there was an “acute shortage of primary and tertiary health care services owing to the lack of integrated medical centers in the occupied Syrian Golan.”

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| May 22, 2013
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Amb. Prosor Slams Erekat for Incitement Over ‘Apartheid’ Comments

UN ambassador Prosor, “It is expected from someone who is in charge of negotiating, to educate for peace, and not for incitement,”

By Elad Benari

 

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, sharply reacted on Tuesday to remarks by PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat, who accused Israel of applying a policy of apartheid in Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor

Erekat told a UN committee in New York on Monday that the Palestinian Authority would hold off on applying to UN agencies, as it is eligible to do since the General Assembly upgraded the PA to the status of non-member observer state, in order to give U.S. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , ,
| May 17, 2013
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Dutch group asks European nations to boycott UN disarmament forum chaired by Iran

UN’s ‘watchdog’ Hillel Neuer, says Iran’s chairmanship “is like putting Jack the Ripper in charge of a women’s shelter.”

By JTA

THE HAGUE — A Dutch group monitoring rights in Iran urged the Netherlands and other European nations to join the United States and Canada in boycotting a U.N. forum on disarmament that will be chaired by Tehran.

Bomb

Israeli PM warning the world of Iran’s continuing aspirations in developing Nuclear weapons.

Iran’s chairmanship of the U.N. Conference on Disarmament “comes at the expense of the United Nations’ credibility as a body meant to safeguard global safety,” the Hague-based Iran Comite wrote to Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans on Thursday.

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Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
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