EMET Applauds International Legal Forum for Uncovering Biases and Legal Challenges with the UNHRC Blacklist of 112 Israeli Companies

EMET APPLAUDS THE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FORUM FOR UNCOVERING THE BIASES, DOUBLE STANDARDS AND LEGAL CHALLENGES WITH THE UNHRC BLACKLIST OF 112 ISRAELI COMPANIES

(Washington, D.C., August 13, 2020) In February 2020 the United National Human Right Council (UNHRC) published its annual blacklist of companies operating in Judea and Samaria. The list is comprised of 112 companies including Motorola, Airbnb, and Expedia, among other companies who are not based in Judea and Samaria, but are only providing services and goods.

The International Legal Forum, an NGO of leading legal experts, has released an excellent legal analysis of the UN Blacklist. The report focuses on a number of legal difficulties with the blacklist. According to the International Legal Forum, by publishing the blacklist, the UNHRC is acting beyond the authority granted to them under the UN Charter. Furthermore, the International Legal Forum identifies the long-standing anti-Israeli bias by selective prosecution, and choosing to examine only those businesses in the disputed territories in Judea and Samaria, but ignores those in other disputed areas around the world. You can find the International Legal Forum’s Perspective here.

The UNHRC database was not compiled using objective standards, and ignores the lawfulness of these business activities under existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements, international agreements, and the domestic laws of the businesses’ homes countries.

EMET profoundly applauds the International Legal Forum standing up against the UNHRC’s hypocrisy and unabashed bias when it comes to Israel, the only thriving democracy in the Middle East. We will continue to stand with the International Legal Forum and all those who promote the truth. EMET encourages everyone to take a look at the list and choose to strengthen those Israeli businesses who are suffering from the impact of the Blacklist, by purchasing goods and services from those companies. We believe that doing so sends a message to the anti-Israel and BDS establishment that we will not be silent in the face of their double standard and bias against Israel, which continues to rear its ugly head in the United Nations.

Says EMET Founder and President, Sarah Stern, “I find it to be the height of irony that such paragons of humanitarianism and international ethical and legal norms such as Qatar, Libya, Somalia, Togo, Sudan, Mauritania, Pakistan, Indonesia, Angola, Senegal, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon and Venezuela sit in judgement of the one democracy in the Middle East, the state of Israel. Where is the outrage over the capricious and arbitrary incarceration, torture and the unlawful killings without due process of protesters and gays in Iran? Where is the outcry of the Human Rights Council for the abusive crack down, including the random shootings and beatings of human rights protesters in Sudan? Where is the outcry of the human rights council of the government of Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, which is characterized by extrajudicial killings, lack of due process, excessive force and random killings by the security forces? Where is the outcry of the forced sterilization and sentencing to “re-education camps” of the Uyghurs of China? The list of countries with very real records of egregious human rights abuses goes on and on. Why the uncanny obsession with Israel? We all know the answer, it is a six-syllable word, and it is spelled ‘Antisemitism,’ the oldest hatred known to mankind. Today’s version is simply against the state of the Jews, Israel, rather than against the Jewish religion.”