UN Resolutions Smear Israel as ‘Obstacle’ to Women’s Rights, Ignore Actual Violators

TEL AVIV – Israel,  the only country in the Middle East where women have full and equal rights, was the only country singled out for allegedly violating women’s rights in two resolutions voted on at the United Nations.

Six EU countries — France, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg and Malta — voted in favor of the motions at the 54-member UN Economic and Social Council.

Other nations that supported the resolutions included Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan, Venezuela and Egypt.

The draft text of one of the resolutions said “the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women and girls with regard to the fulfillment of their rights.”

The other condemned the “Israeli occupation” generally, saying it had “social repercussions.”

The United States and Canada were the only member countries to vote against the resolution. There were nine abstentions, including from the UK, Germany, Brazil and Mexico.

Former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley slammed the motions, tweeting, “It amazes me how the UN condones votes like these.”

“It is a total mockery of human rights to allow Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan and Yemen to name Israel as the world’s only violator of women’s rights,” she said.

It amazes me how the U.N. condones votes like these. It is a total mockery of human rights to allow Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and Yemen to name Israel as the world’s only violator of women’s rights. #Embarrassing https://t.co/VOr20Ma9Po

— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) July 25, 2019

Hillel Neuer, director of monitoring group UN Watch, also lambasted the singling out of Israel.

“The UN reached new heights of absurdity by singling out Israel alone on women’s rights, yet saying nothing on Iran holding women’s rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh behind bars, Saudi Arabia jailing and torturing women’s rights activists and subjugating women under harsh male guardianship laws, or on Yemen denying women hospital treatment without the permission of a male relative,” Neuer said.

“When you have Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen among the UN council members accusing Israel of violating women’s rights, you are in the theater of the absurd.”