The United Nations' Commission of Inquiry (COI), which is responsible for investigating Hamas' crimes of rape and sexual abuse against Israelis, has been labeled as "antisemitic" by Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Gilad Erdan.
Erdan expressed his lack of trust in the COI's ability to conduct a fair investigation, stating that the commission is biased against Israel in every way. He compared the COI's investigation into Hamas' sexual crimes against Israeli women to having the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, investigate its own crimes.
Erdan has been a vocal critic of the U.N.'s alleged bias against Israel, pointing out that the commissioners of the COI have a pre-existing prejudice against Israel and have undermined the accepted working definition of antisemitism.
Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, also criticized the COI, stating that there is no possibility that it will investigate anything about Israel in a fair manner. Bayefsky accused the committee members of stoking antisemitism and running an antisemitic inquisition rather than an investigation. She argued that the COI's sudden interest in Hamas' sexual assaults on Israel is due to the fear of delegitimization.
The COI was established by a resolution from the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2021. The Human Rights Council has been embroiled in scandal over its alleged bias against Israel. The resolution called for an ongoing, independent, international commission of inquiry to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law and abuses of international human rights law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel.
Miloon Kothari, a member of the COI, sparked outrage when he made alleged anti-Jewish remarks in an interview with an anti-Israel blog. Kothari claimed that the COI was being discredited by social media controlled by the "Jewish Lobby" or specific NGOs. This led to calls for the Biden administration to pressure the disbandment of the COI.
When asked about the allegations of antisemitism against the COI, Stphane Dujarric, the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antnio Guterres, defended the commission, stating that the secretary-general has no reason to doubt the impartiality and professionalism of Navi Pillay, the chairwoman of the COI, and her colleagues. Dujarric also clarified that the secretary-general is not involved in the work of bodies that report to the Human Rights Council and has no authority over the appointment of its members.
Pramila Patten, the U.N.'s special representative of the secretary-general on sexual violence in conflict, expressed grave concern about emerging reports of sexual violence against both women and men while they were held in Hamas captivity. She called for robust and independent investigations into all allegations of sexual violence and urged Israel to grant access to United Nations entities with an investigative mandate.
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, the deputy mayor of Jerusalem, criticized the U.N.'s treatment of Hamas' rape and sexual assault campaign targeting Jewish women and girls. She argued that the U.N. is sending a message that "believe all women" does not apply to Jewish or Israeli women. Hassan-Nahoum expressed concern that the appointment of members with a history of antisemitic comments could re-traumatize victims and their families.
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