The council has been meeting for the past two days in a special session called by the Palestinian representatives and supported by 18 of the worlds greatest defenders of human right – those nations are :Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Indonesia, Jordan, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Senegal.

Clearly a body that incorporates such defenders of human rights should be taken seriously.

Th final vote was 25 for the motion, 6 against and 11 abstentions.

More later.

On October 12, 2009, there was an explosion at a Hezbollah weapons storehouse in Tayr Filsay, in southern Lebanon. This aerial footage, taken shortly after the explosion, shows Hezbollah operatives closing down the area around the warehouse, driving in two trucks and removing weaponry from the site. They then took the weapons to a known weapons storage facility in the center of the village of Dir a-Nahar about four kilometers away. Only after Hezbollah removed the weaponry did they allow UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army to enter the site of the explosion. The IDF has sumbitted the footage to UNIFIL to aid in their investigation of the incident.
Source

The UN Resolution (UNSCR 1701) that brought an end to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 clearly states:

15. Decides further that all states shall take the necessary measures to prevent, by their nationals or from their territories or using their flag vessels or aircraft;

* a. the sale or supply to any entity or individual in Lebanon of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned, whether or not originating in their territories, and;

* b. the provision to any entity or individual in Lebanon of any technical training or assistance related to the provision, manufacture, maintenance or use of the items listed in subparagraph (a) above, except that these prohibitions shall not apply to arms, related material, training or assistance authorised by the government of Lebanon or by Unifil as authorised in paragraph 11;

Israelis ambassador to the UN, Gabriela Shalev, has rightly complained to the Security Council about “another serious violation” of the UN resolution.

Whether the UN can fit in to its busy schedule a debate on such violations of SC resolutions is, in my mind at least, questionable, as it seems quite busy right now looking into the Goldstone report.

As Goldstone had previously stated regarding the Gaza conflict, Israel should have complained to the UN about rocket attacks from Gaza – and yet Israel constantly complains about Hezbollah breaking 1701 and the UN sits on its hands and does nothing.

So if Israel is forced to take action again against Hezbollah will we hear another outcry from the likes of Goldstone?

And they wonder why we have no faith in the UN.

Added 16th Nov 09: Hezbollah video trying to refute Israeli allegations.

Mary Robinson knew that when she refused to Chair the UNHRC witch hunt against Israeli defensive actions earlier this year.

“the resolution is not balanced because it focuses on what Israel did, without calling for an investigation on the launch of the rockets by Hamas. This is unfortunately a practice by the Council: adopting resolutions guided not by human rights but by politics. This is very regrettable.”

Since it’s release the political football has been passed around the field. The UNHRC first were going to vote on the report only to have said vote delayed until March next year, apparently after Obama pressured Abbas to drop his demand for a vote, then a Libyan attempt to get the security council to look at the report failed, and now it would seem that Abbas, a man who has made an art out of doing nothing to further peace during his Presidency, has made public noises about requesting a special session of the UNHRC to debate and vote on the report.

The problem is the only reason why Abbas is making these moves is because he is fighting for his own political survival. Word on the Palestinian street is that Hamas were mighty miffed that the PA dropped their insistence of a vote the other week – so in a pathetic attempt to hold on to his political office, elections must be held next year, Abbas is hoping to bring forward a vote and use the UNHRC once again to demonise Israel, something that body does constantly.

The fall out from the Goldstone report is far from over – this is going to continue for some time. Speaking at the opening of the new Knesset session yesterday Binyamin Netanyahu attacked the report and its findings.

“Israel’s basic rights to self-defense and to exist as a Jewish state are under continued attack, which has become even stronger following the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead. Our first mission is to repel them,” the prime minister said as he attacked the Goldstone Report.

“This report, written by the warped [Goldstone] Commission, questions Israel’s very right to self-defense. This report encourages terrorism and also endangers peace. I want to emphasize this. Israel will not take chances for peace if it cannot defend herself.”

Warped indeed, but Israel needs to respond to the ongoing campaign by Palestinians and other in the UN who attack our basic rights to defend our population from the murderous intent of our so called peace partners.

A new website has been created by a number of bloggers who have been following events very closely since last winter. They offer analysis and challenge some of the issues raised by not just the report itself but the very make up of the team. Over the weeks and months ahead this will turn into a valuable resource to counter the huge anti-Israel campaign that will follow. Check them out.