海角大神

A report by a United Nations body accusing Israel of imposing an 鈥渁partheid regime鈥� on Palestinians has ignited a fracas at the UN, prompting the withdrawal of the report 鈥撀燼nd the subsequent resignation of the senior official responsible for its release.

As the Trump administration promises vigorous support for Israeli policies, the uproar seems to foreshadow a drift toward increasing contentiousness at the UN over the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories, which is recognized by some nations and international bodies (not including the UN) as "Palestine."

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the report, issued by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) 鈥� a regional commission made up of 18 Arab-majority states 鈥� does not reflect his views, with spokesman Stephane Dujarric telling reporters earlier this week that it was published without consultation with the secretariat.

"This is not about content, this is about process," Mr. Dujarric said on Friday.

"The secretary-general cannot accept that an under-secretary general or any other senior UN official that reports to him would authorize the publication under the UN name, under the UN logo, without consulting the competent departments and even himself,鈥� he added.

The report concluded that of 鈥渁n institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group鈥� against others, as defined by international law.

The United States and Israel celebrated the report鈥檚 withdrawal, calling it 鈥渇alse and defamatory,鈥� and attacking co-author Richard Falk, a former UN human rights investigator for the Palestinian territories, as biased against Israel.

Mr. Dujarric鈥檚 account of the report鈥檚 withdrawal was disputed by ESCWA鈥檚 under-secretary general and executive secretary, Rima Khalaf, who in her letter of resignation accused 鈥減owerful member states鈥� of pressuring the UN chief with 鈥渧icious attacks and threats.鈥�

"I do not find it surprising that such member states, who now have governments with little regard for international norms and values of human rights, will resort to intimidation when they find it hard to defend their unlawful policies and practices," Ms. Khalaf wrote.

"It is only normal for criminals to pressure and attack those who advocate the cause of their victims," she added.

Thomas Weiss, director emeritus of the City University of New York鈥檚 Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies and a specialist on the UN, tells 海角大神 that a more critical view of Israeli policies, and advocacy for tougher opposition to them, had gained increasing traction.

One contributing factor, he adds, was the Obama administration鈥檚 abstention on a Security Council vote condemning Israel.聽

鈥淭here鈥檚 a certain amount of momentum in play here. Israel and the United States, with the current administration, are going to be increasingly isolated,鈥� he says.

US representatives have staked out a combative posture toward various UN bodies in the Trump administration鈥檚 first months.

In a speech at the UN Human Rights Council in early March, US envoy Erin Barclay called the Council鈥檚 long record of resolutions denouncing Israel as an 鈥渙bsession鈥� and 鈥�," according to The Independent.

And in an interview with Fox News on Friday, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the organization 鈥溾��.

"What we are trying to do is make sure they understand that there's a new administration in town and we're not going to put up with it," she added.

But the emergence of the report may also have to do with the reconfiguration of the UN bureaucracy.

Dr. Falk, who is also a Princeton University professor of international law, has 鈥� to describe Israel鈥檚 policies toward the occupied territories鈥�, notes Dr. Weiss, a close colleague of Falk.

鈥淗e never put it in a Human Rights Council document when he was the special rapporteur on the occupied territories because the documents that come out of the HRC are overseen by the secretariat and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, who would鈥檝e found it a step too far.鈥�

ESCWA, the commission that produced the report, bypassed top UN authorities when posting it online.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not an overnight report. It has undoubtedly been in the works for some time, since long before the [US] election,鈥� says Weiss.

This report contains material by Reuters.