A controversial United Nations special investigator is calling for a boycott of international businesses “engaged in profit-making” in what he called Israeli settlements.
Acknowledging the move was an “innovation,” Richard Falk said he hoped the boycott by “civil society” would help pressure Israel to stop building in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
The independent special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territories singled out 13 companies, including Hewlett Packard, Motorola, Volvo and Caterpillar.
In his report to the UN, he said, “The Special Rapporteur calls on civil society to vigorously pursue initiatives to boycott, divest and sanction the businesses highlighted in this report, within their own national contexts, until such time as they bring their policies and practices into line with international laws and standards.”
Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, rejected Mr. Falk’s report, while the Israeli UN mission described it as “grossly biased” and “completely divorced from reality.”
“His call for a boycott of private companies is irresponsible and unacceptable,” Ms. Rice said in a statement.
“Mr. Falk’s recommendations do nothing to further a peaceful settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and indeed poison the environment for peace.Our effort is to encourage these companies not to be complicit in the violation of human rights we believe are taking place in the Occupied Territories
UN Watch also denounced Mr. Falk, pointing out among other things he had posted an anti-Semitic cartoon on his blog and claimed in 2008 Israel was planning a “Palestinian holocaust.”
Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, has previously admonished Mr. Falk for supporting conspiracy theories about the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
UN Watch, a UN watchdog based in Geneva, said in a statement Thursday, “Falk’s sideshow also harms the cause of the UN.”
Mario Tama/Getty Images files"Mr. Falk’s recommendations do nothing to further a peaceful settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and indeed poison the environment for peace," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said Thursday.
In a statement just before the report was published, Abraham Foxman, the Anti-Defamation League’s national director, said, “Richard Falk has repeatedly abused his position as special rapporteur to unleash unrestrained hatred and disdain for Israel.
This malevolence permeates his official reports and, at times, his personal statements, which include the use of anti-Semitic imagery and comparisons of Israeli actions to those of the Nazis.”
Mr. Falk’s report mirrors a campaign started by Palestinian organizations in 2005 for “boycott, divestment and sanctions” against Israel.
Are you a rapporteur or an activist?
At a news conference Thursday, he said Israel was defying international law by continuing to build in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
His call for a boycott was based on his being “entrusted with the responsibility for judging Israel’s behaviour in the Occupied Territories,” he said.
“The focus on business activities is partly an expression of frustration at the inability to obtain compliance with these fundamental obligations of Israel and the ineffectiveness of the UN efforts to condemn settlement expansion so this is an attempt to reach out beyond the intergovernmental and international institutions,” he said.
“Our effort is to encourage these companies not to be complicit in the violation of human rights we believe are taking place in the Occupied Territories, based on making profits from those activities, and we think that should be discouraged.”
He added, “We should try to use whatever influence we have to change behaviour and this is one way of changing behaviour. The civil society initiative associated with the boycott, divestment, sanctions movement has had significant, concrete successes.”
Asked at this point by a reporter, “Are you a rapporteur or an activist?” he replied, “My understanding of my role is to report accurately on the violations and to report what can be done to overcome them.”
Caterpillar said in a statement Mr. Falk’s report was inaccurate and misleading, and “reflects his personal and negative opinions toward Israel.”
Hewlett Packard said Mr. Falk was “far from an independent and unbiased expert in this matter.” The company said it has a strong human rights policy and complies with the highest standards in every market in which it operates.
National Post, with files from Reuters
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