WASHINGTON, DC—Representative Eliot L. Engel, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement on the United Nations Human Rights Council report on last summer’s conflict in Gaza:
“Once again, the UN Human Rights Council has failed to live up to its name and mission. From the outset, this ill-conceived report promised to demonize Israel for defending itself.
“The McGowan Davis report’s thinly veiled accusations of war crimes by the Israeli government have repeatedly been refuted by independent assessments. Military leaders from all over the world have confirmed that Israel made repeated efforts to protect innocent human life.
“The report’s recommended follow-up—supporting the work of the International Criminal Court’s case—is a nonstarter. As a democracy that respects the rule of law, Israel has thoroughly investigated alleged abuses by its military and has brought perpetrators to justice. Nowhere else in the Middle East—certainly not in Gaza—do we find such respect for international law and pursuit of justice. This unfair singling out of Israel harms American interests and foments further instability in a volatile part of the world.
“Both the Israeli and Palestinian people deserve better than endless violence and finger-pointing. They deserve a permanent solution, with two states for two peoples, living in peace and security.”