UAE addresses Human Rights Council on situation in Palestine and other Occupied Arab Territories

Geneva - June 16, 2011 (WAM) - The UAE said yesterday the general debate at the Human Rights Council on Human Rights situation in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories was evidence of the keenness of the international community to uncover the truth behind the incident of the aid Flotilla.
''In spite of the clear findings of the fact finding mission that Israel had committed serious human rights violations, Israel refused to cooperate with the fact finding panel or to offer either an apology or compensation to the victims which called into question Israel's willingness to work with the Human Rights Council,'' the UAE Permanent Representative to the European headquarters of the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Obaid Salem Al Za'abi, told the 17th regular session of the Human Rights Council.
''Israel should implement all recommendations in the report and the Palestinian people should be allowed to recover their full rights over their occupied territory,' he added.
The Human Rights Council held a general debate on the human rights situation in Palestine and other Occupied Arab Territories after hearing High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay present her report on the status of implementation of the conclusions contained in the report of the international fact-finding mission on the incident of the humanitarian flotilla.
Also speaking as a concerned country, Palestine said that the Flotilla had on board civilians of many nationalities as well as humanitarian aid for people disabled by Israeli forces. The attack on it by Israel was a violation of international law. Israel continued to fail to implement the important recommendations contained in the report. Israel continued to be intransigent in its position, which was not based on any legal basis. Israel should make appropriate apologies and compensate the victims. The blockade of Gaza should end. Israel continued its occupation along with the violations of international human rights law, international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
In the general debate, speakers were deeply concerned about the continuing stalemate in the peace process and called for the urgent resumption of direct negotiations leading to a comprehensive solution on all tracks. The goal remained a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition.
Speakers condemned the aggression and violence against peaceful demonstrations and all measures of collective punishment against the Palestinian people by Israel, which represented grave violations of international humanitarian law for which the occupying power must be held accountable. Israel must release all illegally held prisoners, including women and children. The international community had the responsibility to react against Israel. Speakers called on Israel to stop the destruction of Palestinian properties in East Jerusalem as well as refrain from any measures aimed at altering the demographic character or status of East Jerusalem. The human rights situation in the Syrian Golan Heights was also deteriorating because of the Israeli occupation which continued to violate the economic, social and cultural rights of the Syrian population. It was regrettable that a year after the investigation of the flotilla incident that there had been no implementation of the recommendations of the report. - Emirates News Agency, WAM