Former US President Jimmy Carter’s new book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” has recently stirred controversy, both for its title and its contents, which have been criticized and dissected by figures such as Alan Dershowitz. Referring to the book, “Special Raporteur on Palestine to the UN Human Rights Council” John Dugard takes this opportunity to attack Israel in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, claiming that:
“Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories has many features of colonization. At the same time it has many of the worst characteristics of apartheid.”
HonestReporting has previously debunked the false comparison between Israel and apartheid South Africa.
John Dugard enjoys a “halo effect” created by his role as an “independent expert” working for the UN. This cannot, however, disguise his extreme and one-sided views, which have been given a platform in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In his one-sided diatribe, Dugard takes aim at Israeli military activities but fails to acknowledge the existence of Palestinian terrorism or any other legitimate reasons for Israeli self-defense. Indeed, it appears that in Dugard’s world, Israeli rights simply do not exist.
This is unsurprising given Dugard’s previous statements. Anne Bayefsky of Eye on the UN refers to Dugard as “the UN’s Spokesperson for Suicide Bombers” and “the most fanatical spokesperson for terrorism at the UN outside the Arab and Moslem world.”
“His job description, or UN mandate, deliberately excludes Palestinian human rights abuses. As Dugard lectured the Israeli representative on October 19th: “I have a limited mandate, which is to investigate human rights violations by Israelis, not by Palestinians.” The pre-determined outcome, however, has never been a problem for this lawyer. Far from being embarrassed, he launched into this year’s diatribe this way: “Today I deliver my annual criticism of Israel’s human rights record.”
There is no perennial criticism at the UN of the human rights record of any other state, or terror organization for that matter. Just Israel.
Dugard’s fanaticism is consistent with the UN reality that the more hysterical his claims, the more likely he is to keep his job. His usual modus operandi is to demonize Israel as the racist, blood-thirsty aggressor opposed by a hapless, freedom-loving people. This year he decided to outdo himself, taking aim at the Jewishness of the Jewish state itself. “The litany of human rights violations…is difficult to reconcile with Israel’s…claim to be “a light unto the nations.”
Dugard’s anti-Israel extremism has also been featured by Frontpage Magazine, which notes his support for sanctions against Israel and his apparent desire to see the end of Israel through the creation of a bi-national state, in contradiction to the two-state solution supported by the UN itself.
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