Israel Lobbying at Work

Israel is always busy trying to stop criticism of Israel and any airing of Palestinian grievances.

Israel asks EU not to host UN panel on Palestinians' rights

Israeli envoy to European Union sends letter to parliament president requesting he prevent panel to be held by UN's Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People
Associated Press


Israel has asked the European Parliament not to provide space this month for a two-day UN panel meeting on the rights of Palestinians, saying the UN group co-hosting it has an anti-Israel record.



Ran Curiel, the Israeli envoy to the European Union, wrote a letter last week to EU parliament president Hans-Gert Poettering asking him to prevent the planned August 30-31 conference from taking place at the EU assembly's building in Brussels, Israeli officials said.




They said Curiel also wrote to a few dozen EU parliamentarians to complain about the planned conference, which is to be held under the auspices of the UN's Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.



Israel views the committee as a legacy of the 1975 UN General Assembly resolution - revoked in 1991 - that equated Zionism with racism.



Curiel called the parliament's decision to allow the conference "lamentable" and said the assembly had rejected a similar request for a meeting by the UN panel a few years ago because the committee has called for boycotts and sanctions against Israel.




EU parliament officials were not immediately available for comment.



The committee, chaired by Senegal, has 22 members and 26 observers. Cyprus and Malta are the only members who are also EU member states, according to the UN website.