24 out of 47 UNHRC member states voted in favor of the resolution which calls for the establishment of a commission of inquiry against Israel. Nine opposed the resolution.
Israel has summoned the ambassadors of Mexico, the Philippines and Argentina after the three countries voted in favor of a resolution by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to open an investigation into alleged human rights abuses and crimes committed during the 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas.
24 out of 47 UNHRC member states voted in favor of the resolution which calls for the establishment of a commission of inquiry against Israel. Nine opposed the resolution.
The countries who supported the motion were: Argentina, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, China, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Eritrea, Gabon, Indonesia, Libya, Mauritania, Mexico, Namibia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.
It was opposed by Austria, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Czech Republic, Germany, Malawi, Marshall Islands, the United Kingdom and Uruguay.
The Bahamas, Brazil, Denmark, Fiji, France, India, Italy, Japan, Nepal, Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Togo and Ukraine abstained.
Israel rejected the the resolution, called the UNHRC ‘’a biased and anti-Israel institution’’ and announced that it will not cooperate with the investigation.
The decision on establishing a commission of inquiry comes after Israel and Hamas agreed to a bilateral and unconditional ceasefire on May 21 ending 11 days of fighting.
The ambassador of Mexico Pablo Macedo met with Israel Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Director General for Latin America, Modi Ephraim, who said that the country expects of allies such as Mexico that the “good bilateral relations” between the two countries should also be reflected in the international arena.
“Israel further expects that Mexico stand with us during this difficult time in the same way that Israel has done for it, show understanding for the security challenges that Israel is facing, and recognize Israel’s right and duty to defend its citizens, at whom Hamas fired 4,300 rockets,” Ephraim said.
Gilad Cohen, Deputy Director General for the Asia-Pacific at Israel’s Foreign Ministry, met Philippines’s ambassador, Macairog S. Alberto, to tell that his country’s vote is “unacceptable.’’
“It is unacceptable that a country like the Philippines, which itself endures radical and murderous Islamist terrorism in the south of the country, would support a draft resolution that ignores the Hamas terrorist organization’s war crimes,” Cohen said. “Israel expects friends such as the Philippines not to support proposals that strengthen terrorism, and to stand by us during this time.”
Argentina’s vote is unacceptable to Israel as it ignores Hamas terrorism and the firing of close to 4,500 rockets at Israeli citizens, Modi Ephraim, the head of the Foreign Ministry’s Latin America and Caribbean division, said on Tuesday.
Ephraim noted that it is inconceivable that Argentina, whose country has suffered from terrorist attacks on Argentinian soil organized by both Iran and Hezbollah – with the bombing of the Israeli embassy in ’92 and the subsequent bombing of the AMIA building in ’94 – would shy away from condemning Hamas terrorism and instead support the UN commission.
“The expectation in Israel is that the Argentine government will stand by us in difficult times in light of the friendship between our countries over the years and the partnership in the fight against terrorism,” Ephraim concluded.