De VN Mensenrechtenraad koos niet voor Britse Penny Green, zoals de selectiecommissie voorstelde, als ‘Speciale Rapporteur over de Mensenrechten in de Palestijnse Gebieden’. De voorkeur gaat alsnog uit naar de tweede naam op de voordrachtlijst: Michael Lynk, een Canadees die rechten doceert in Ontario. Of dat een verbetering is, lijkt zeer de vraag. Evenals Green heeft Lynk zich vooral laten kennen als supporter van anti-Israel acties, zo luidt de kritiek uit pro-Israel hoek.
Wouter
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UN selects anti-Israel Canadian law professor to report on Palestinian territories
EXCLUSIVE
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By Josh Jackman, March 23, 2016
Michael Lynk - who has compared Israeli settlements to “the transfer by the Nazis of German-speaking peoples into newly conquered lands during the Second World War” - will be appointed the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, the JC can reveal.
The Canadian, who teaches law at Western University in Ontario, has also said he hopes to “isolate Israel”.
He will be named tomorrow by UN Human Rights Council President Choi Kyonglim, ahead of the UNHRC Consultative Group’s first choice, Penny Green.
In a letter sent to member states ahead of the announcement, the president stated that he had chosen Mr Lynk based on his “expertise; experience in the field of the mandate; independence; impartiality; personal integrity; and objectivity”.
Non-governmental organisation UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer said that "the UN’s selection of a manifestly partisan candidate — someone who three days after 9/11 blamed the West for provoking the attacks — constitutes a travesty of justice and a breach of the world body’s own rules.
“Someone who accuses Israel of ‘Apartheid’ and openly seeks to dismantle the Jewish state is neither impartial nor objective. We call on Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and all other Council members to do the right things and oppose Lynk’s nomination at tomorrow’s vote,” added Mr Neuer.
The news that Mr Lynk and Ms Green - who has accused the Jewish state of committing “ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in apartheid Israel” - were the top two choices for the role prompted outrage around the world.
British lawyers have written to Foreign Office Minister Baroness Anelay to oppose both candidates and members of the Canadian Conservative Party sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urging him to speak out against the move.
UN Watch published a damning report outlining the pair's strongly anti-Israel background, while five House of Lords members also wrote to Baroness Anelay to speak out against Ms Green’s nomination.
· Outrage over UN's anti-Israel candidates
· She asked why UK did not bomb Israel - ideal candidate to head UN probe into the conflict
· Peers join campaign to block anti-Israel academic from UN appointment
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Last updated: 12:40pm, March 24 2016
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