UN should condemn synagogue massacre

UN should condemn synagogue massacre

GENEVA, October 27, 2018 — UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, along with other UN agencies, officials and experts tasked with combating racism, should join the EU, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley and many others, and condemn today’s massacre of Jews praying in a Pittsburgh synagogue, said UN Watch, a Geneva-based non-governmental human rights monitoring group.

As of 11:40 pm tonight in Geneva, the twitter accounts of both the UN human rights officeand its chief Michelle Bachelet were silent on the Pittsburgh attack.

“At a time when Jews continue to be targeted worldwide, it’s vital that the UN’s top human rights official speaks out,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch.

“Sadly, as found by our recent report on UN actions over the past decade, the world body’s highest officials tasked with combating racism have failed to act against hatred, incitement and violence against Jews.”

“Our report’s findings were disturbing and clear: key UN agencies, officials and experts are, with limited exceptions, turning a blind eye to escalating antisemitism worldwide.”

For example, an examination of the 2014-2018 tenure of former UN human rights chief Zeid Raad al Hussein, which included a search of all of his statements, press releases and reports on the UN rights office website, found not a single stand-alone statement condemning anti-Jewish attacks or incitement.

Similarly, Navi Pillay, who served the longest as UN rights chief, from 2008 to 2014, also failed to speak out in the face of murderous physical attacks against Jews, including the 2012 massacre at a Toulouse Jewish school.

The findings of UN Watch's study were corroborated by the UN itself. Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion, acknowledged the “scandalous lack of attention” paid by the UN human rights system to antisemitism.

“In wake of today's massacre in Pittsburgh, I urge Ms. Bachelet to speak out immediately,” said Neuer.

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