U.N. Names Only Israel as Violator of Women's Rights
Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at 09:20PM Bottom Line Up Front : The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women finds one violator of women’s rights: Israel.
When the United Nations holds an annual Commission on the Status of Women to “evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide,” you’d suspect there’d be a number of countries cited for violating women’s rights. China, the Sudan, Iran, North Korea or any number of Arab countries come to mind. Not so, only one: Israel.
According to the 2007 session report:
….the Commission would have the Economic and Social Council express the importance of providing assistance, especially emergency assistance, to alleviate the harmful impact of the financial crisis that had exacerbated the already dire socio-economic and humanitarian situation faced by Palestinian women and their families.
Further, the Council would demand that Israel comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the regulations annexed to the Hague Convention IV of 18 October 1907 [“Convention Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land”] and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949, in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families.
Also by that draft, the Council would reaffirm that the Israeli occupation remained a major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration into the development planning of their society. It would encourage all women in the region to take an active role in supporting the peace process.
The official U.N. vote was 40-2 with only the United States and Canada opposing. The 40 countries who voted for the resolution against Israel in support to aide Palestinian women were:
In favour: Algeria, Armenia, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Congo, Croatia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Suriname, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania.
Against: Canada, United States.
This shouldn’t be surprising from an organization that names Cuba and China on it’s Membership of the Human Rights Council. Anti-semitism, anyone?
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Reader Comments (24)
That is outrageous and screams bias. Do "honor" killings occur in Israel like they do in Muslim countries? When I see Israel, I see women treated as equals. Even the far left headlines never reveal crimes against women in Israel like they do in other countries, so where does the UN get off?
I WILL SAY THIS AGAIN FOR ABOUT THE MILLIONTH TIME, GET THE UNITED STATES OUT OF THE UN AND GET THE UN OUT OF THE UNITED STATES. THEY ARE A TOTALLY USELESS ORGANIZATION THAT IS BOTH ANTI-ISRAEL AND ANTI-UNITED STATES.
PLEASE TELL ME WHEN THE LAST TIME WAS THAT THE UN HAS EVER KEPT THE PEACE OR STOPPED A WAR. WE DO NOT NEED THE UN TO TELL US WHAT TO DO INOUR OWN COUNTRY, NOT NOW NOT EVER!
Something is definitely rotten in Denmark. My gut reaction is to blame this on anti-Semitism. The UN has a long and established history of doing this sort of thing. The Israelis (a pretty much model democracy and upholder of recognized human rights) are constantly getting called out on the carpet for some stupid reason or another.
Ordinarily, I'd expect at least the church to say something about this but I guess they're all too busy with their purpose-driven lives to take notice.
It's very interesting to look at who voted against Israel on this one:
China, where it's not unheard of for families to kill or abandon baby girls until they have a son (China's gender ratio is 120 males to 100 females)
India, where, until the mid 1800's, widows were burned alive on their deceased husband's pyres
United Arab Emirates and Qatar, where Iranian, Malaysian, and Indonesial girls are imported as sex slaves, and women can't vote
Djibouti, where women have no vote
Nigeria, where female genital mutilation is practiced
Russia, where young girls are routinely exploited in the sex trade
This is just what I remember off the top of my head. I'm sure a little research will bear it all out.
Women in Israel:
Can vote
Serve in the military
Work in any profession
Get guaranteed maternity leave
Can sue for divorce
To answer Donna's question above: Unfortunately, there are occasional "honor" killings in Israel's Arab sector. They prosecuted, unlike in the Arab world.
This is to be expected of the U.N. Why be outraged over it? Outrage does nothing to solve problems. The U.N. has been doing this sort of thing for decades, yet we,as a nation continue to not only support them financially but uphold their rulings at the cost of our own sovereign nationhood and the safety of our citizens. In this last decade they've just been more open about it is all.
"Further, the Council would demand that Israel comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the regulations annexed to the Hague Convention IV of 18 October 1907 [“Convention Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land”] and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949, in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families. "
Also by that draft, the Council would reaffirm that the Israeli occupation remained a major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration into the development planning of their society. It would encourage all women in the region to take an active role in supporting the peace process. '
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You'd think a vote of 40 to 2 in favour of a resolution, would be deemed critically conclusive that it was the right thing to do? Maybe you could actually refute this portion of the resolution with evidence that Israel was complying with all human rights conventions? But of course, as usual, our "Israel and America, does no evil" friends here, tend to see things through filtered goggles.
Speaking of Human rights abuses, ever hear of Mordechai Vanunu? Here's something that even Israel the "psychological super-power" couldn't hide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj-0sDdqrWU
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And, if you actually bothered to go through the resolution, you'd see that the issue with Israel was one aspect of the entire resolution on womens' rights.
" The Commission also approved, without a vote, a draft resolution on forced marriage of the girl child(document E/CN.6/2007/L.4/Rev.1), previously titled “Forced and early marriage”, after several changes had been made to the text by the representative of Germany, on behalf of the European Union. As a result of those amendments, the United States, the draft’s main sponsor, removed itself from the list of sponsors.
That draft resolution would have the Economic and Social Council recognize that forced marriage contributed to girls’ faring disproportionately worse than boys in terms of access to primary school in some countries,and that early motherhood entailed complications during pregnancy and delivery, and a risk of maternal morbidity and mortality that was much greater than average. "
Among the 40 votes in favor we find the United Kingdom & Japan; by most measures reliable US allies? Hmmmm.
Mavic, it wouldn't matter if the vote were 42-0; it wasn't the right thing to do. Israel is arguably the most civilized country in the monopoly called the Middle East. This vote has NOTHING to do with human rights or China, India, Iran, the Sudan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and North Korea would have been in the resolution.
This is simply more anti-semetic posturing by a bizarre organization that is the embodiment of a cross between Jimmy Carter and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Israel treats the Palestinians far better than the Palestinians treat themselves.
I have no idea what your point is with the You Tube video or how it is relevant. Mordechai Vanunu is an anti-Zionist.
There's a reason why Israel and the U.S. are targets in the world for defamation and slander. I'm thinking of Jesus being handed over to Pilate...
I am WITH Donna and Rev. This is OUTRAGEOUS!! I am sick of the UN telling us what we can and cannot do!
Uhhhh!! This is infuriating. LEAVE ISRAEL AND THE US ALONE! DARN IT!
Whaaa...? Like Michael said, what about all those countries with the enormous child sex slave trade, the female genital mutilations, the muslim countries where women aren't even allowed anywhere without a male relative escort, they're beaten, killed, raped...? Yes, early marriage is detrimental, but I think it's ridiculous to say that it's worse than these other atrocities being committed against women and girls. Can they be any more obvious about hating Jews?
Most civilized country huh?
Mordechai Vanunu, was drugged and kidnapped by the Mossad, from another country (Italy), and brought back to Israel and thrown into prison for 18 years, for exposing the Israeli Nuclear Program. Israel has managed to cover up all the trails behind this man, and have tried to prevent him from speaking to the media, and that is why people like yourself can put a hood over your heads, and march hand in hand with all the hyprocrites running Israel. What would you be saying, if Iranian special agents tried to kidnap Americans for the same reasons? I am sure you'd wish them well, and send them away with milk and cookies? I don't think you have the right to speak for Vanunu, because he sacrificed his life, for the good of humanity. The fact that you and your friends seem to gloat about Israel being the " most civilized country", is token to the psychological power that Israel has used to convince the world that it is always the victim, and never the perpretrator.
If you're going to put hoods over your heads, at least remember to cut eye holes.
I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Israel tracked down a nuclear spy and jailed him? Wow, that's terrible. They should have just walked into the restaurant he was eating at and bombed the place, then they could have killed him and everyone else! Candy time! That approach works for the Palestinians, look at all the supporters they have!
Speaking of being a token to psychological power (surprising you were not affected by the Jewish mind rays they use to control us), what makes the article ironic is that the Middle East enshrines the subjugation of women in their culture because its mandated by religion, but the UN chooses to focus on Israel as a place where women's rights are violated! Must be all those honor killings! Or maybe it's those suicide mothers that children are singing about! Or maybe its the stoning of the gays or the wearing of the burqa! Maybe Israel should adopt sharia law - that protects women!
Here's the point - The history of women for the most part is a grueling testament to perseverence. To backhand the issue, as the UN has done, offers little solace to the millions that live under the raised fist of brutal men. If the UN can't tell the difference between Israel and the rest of the countries that stain the Middle East with the blood of their women, truly - we will get no help from them.
I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Gee, KEvron, I didn't notice.
"Mordechai Vanunu, was drugged and kidnapped by the Mossad, from another country (Italy), and brought back to Israel and thrown into prison for 18 years, for exposing the Israeli Nuclear Program. Israel has managed to cover up all the trails behind this man, and have tried to prevent him from speaking to the media, and that is why people like yourself can put a hood over your heads, and march hand in hand with all the hyprocrites running Israel. What would you be saying, if Iranian special agents tried to kidnap Americans for the same reasons? I am sure you'd wish them well, and send them away with milk and cookies? I don't think you have the right to speak for Vanunu, because he sacrificed his life, for the good of humanity. The fact that you and your friends seem to gloat about Israel being the " most civilized country", is token to the psychological power that Israel has used to convince the world that it is always the victim, and never the perpretrator."
So, what if they do? I don't see Israel hopping to use nuclear weapons. Can you say the same for their Muslim neighbors; neighbors who deny Israel even has a right to exist? If you're going to argue something like this, you really should think about it a little longer.
If Vanunu held national secrets they had every right to muzzle him. How would you like it if someone from Canada started talking about your national security and told your enemies how to get around them? Would you feel safe in Toronto afterwards? Wouldn't your government do everything in their power to get person and muzzle him or her, too?
Pakistan and India both have nuclear capability, too. I'm not all that concerned with India having such, a little but not so much, but the fact that Pakistan does make me quite nervous. Nuclear arms in the control of people who wouldn't hesitate to use them for genocide should make anyone nervous.
I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Wow. I think KEVron is actually a malfuntioning robot. Either that, or an attention whore.
"Mordechai Vanunu, was drugged and kidnapped by the Mossad, from another country (Italy), and brought back to Israel and thrown into prison for 18 years, for exposing the Israeli Nuclear Program."
I think we're all still waiting for an explanation as to what exactly the Israeli agents did wrong here.
I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Steph,
You are funny woman. Since when was it acceptable to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of "national secrecy"? Before the USA and its unconditional apartite state, Israel, meander around telling other countries what kind of weapons they are allowed to have and shouldn't have, they should start cleaning up their own feces of nuclear weapons. Maybe there's some sort of unwritten international moral clause that allows the United States and Israel some special authority to develop these weapons? Which is it Steph?
Let me remind you a piece of history, that conveniently slipped through the meteoric holes in your reasoning. Did you forget that the United States of America is the only country to ever use a nuclear weapon? Funny how facts tend to bite people in the butt, huh?
I know that crazy Pakistan (an interesting ally of the US) make you nervous, but you can rest assured that the United States, not only makes people nervous, but gives them nervous break-downs. Just remember, if there was a right to kill, everyone else in the world has the same right to kill people as you do.
200 000 people were killed:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
As for my country, Canada, I'd say it certainly stands on better moral grounds than does the USA. It has proven recently that it is more than willing to expose its own intelligence system, when it fails to uphold the rights of its citizens. Maybe you have heard of the case with Mahar Arar? While Canada held a full-fledged investigation, leading to the exhoneration of the man, the ego-maniacal government of the United States decided, as usual, to sweep its mistakes under the rugs and hope no one would notice. Yep
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maher_Arar