Yesterday, Jews all over the world remembered the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Auchwitz death camp; this day is now recognized as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The repeated message of Holocaust awareness events is that we can never be allowed to forget the inhumane crimes committed by the Nazis during WWII. In remembering the horror to which Europe’s Jews were subjected, we vow to prevent such a terrible thing from ever occurring again.
In today’s world, thanks to political and economic alliances, an all-out war amongst the nations of Europe is virtually unthinkable. The Jewish people have a homeland in Israel, and global political institutions, like the United Nations, attempt to prevent violent conflict. These NGOs, combined with global human rights organizations, carry out the mission of protecting people from abuse; they help us accomplish the mission to “never forget.”
Unfortunately, and somewhat ironically, many international human rights organizations have a predetermined vendetta against Israel. Make no mistake: like any nation that must fight for its survival, Israel does harm the rights of its neighbors. However, I firmly believe that Israel takes pains to engage with force only when its citizens are threatened, and evidence shows that the IDF takes great pains to conduct war as humanely as possible (if a word like “humane” could ever apply to the concept of war). Whether or not Israel fulfills this goal is the subject of an entirely different discourse.
Yesterday, UN Watch reported that the Human Rights Council’s JUSCANZ group (made up of non-EU democratic nations) has approved Israel for membership. In terms of the way international NGOs understand and interact with Israel, this approval is a monumental step. By allowing Israel to participate in discussions of human rights, the council recognizes Israel’s commitment to find political solutions and reduce the harms of violent conflict. Indeed, this action has the potential of ending the consistently biased human rights propaganda war that rages between Israel and the United Nations.
In fact, it’s telling that it has taken so long for the council to recognize and include Israel. It’s easy to lob criticism at Israel from behind the confines of an exclusive group; it’s more difficult to blindly and broadly bash a nation whose diplomat is sitting across the table. Israel will likely not be welcomed warmly and with open arms, but that’s acceptable for now. What’s key is that the world is beginning to recognize the difficulties that Israel still faces every day: how can a country keep its citizens safe from an enemy that uses schoolchildren as human shields? Israel has a voice that has not been represented on the hyper-critical council, and this inclusion is long-overdue.
Let us hope that this step will be positive for Israel and the Human Rights Council. When nations with opposing viewpoints can sit across from each other, they have the power to prevent something terrible from happening.
Related posts:
Categories: 
Recent Comments