Australian Government ‘deeply concerned’ about human rights abuses in Israel

Australia has refused to join a US-led statement in support of Israel at the UN, instead raising concerns about human rights abuses and lack of progress towards a two-state solution, writes DEBORAH STONE

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) heard a damning report on human rights in Israel on the opening day of its session in Geneva.

The report is the first outcome of an open-ended Commission of Inquiry to “investigate in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law”.

The Commission of Inquiry, established in May, is the only open-ended, permanent inquiry against a member state of the UN. It is charged with producing annual reports on human rights violations in Israel and the Occupied Territories.

Twenty-two nations signed a US-led statement opposing the Inquiry: “We firmly oppose the open-ended and vaguely defined nature of the UN Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry on the situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, which represents a one-sided, biased approach that does nothing to advance the prospects for peace,” it said.

But Australia declined to sign, disputing that Israel was the only country permanently on the HRC agenda.

“Australia remains deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict, loss of life and human rights abuses, and the lack of progress towards a just and enduring two-state solution,” Australia’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Amanda Gorely, said in a statement to the Council on Tuesday.

But she said Australia “agrees that the Human Rights Council brings a disproportionate scrutiny to Israel.