STORY: UN experts urge U.S. to end double standards on Israel-Palestine
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 11, 2024
DATELINE: Dec. 13, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:09
LOCATION: GENEVA, Switzerland
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the press conference
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): FRANCESCA ALBANESE, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MARGARET SATTERTHWAITE, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
4. various of the press conference
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): BEN SAUL, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): GEORGE KATROUGALOS, Special Rapporteur on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order

STORYLINE:

United Nations (UN) human rights experts on Wednesday condemned the United States for its "double standards" in addressing violations of international law in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, urging an end to impunity for both Israel and its supporters.

At a press conference in Geneva, four experts, who serve as Special Rapporteurs to the UN Human Rights Council, urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for alleged violations of international law, including disproportionate violence, humanitarian blockades, and settlement expansion in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, cited high civilian casualties and attacks on UN personnel as evidence of systemic violations by Israel, facilitated by a lack of international accountability.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): FRANCESCA ALBANESE, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967
"There are never sanctions on Israel. Judicial processes are either ignored or circumvented, trade continues, and diplomatic ties remain intact. Member States seem to be paralyzed or awestruck, many of them still normalizing the occupation."

Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, criticized the U.S. government for undermining the International Criminal Court with "outrageous" threats and stressed the need for international justice to be equitably applied to all.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MARGARET SATTERTHWAITE, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
"U.S. officials, in particular, have made threats of sanctions against the prosecutor. And one U.S. senator issued a threat to specific states that are members of the ICC saying, 'To any ally, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, if you try to help the ICC, we're going to sanction you'."

Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, criticized Israel's use of counterterrorism rhetoric to justify extreme violence against Palestinians and the chronic dehumanization of the Palestinian people over the past 14 months.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): BEN SAUL, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism
"I think one of the striking features of the last 14 months is how Israel has used counterterrorism rhetoric to justify exceptional, extreme violence against Palestinians, accompanied by a chronic dehumanization of the Palestinian people, which of course allows them to be killed in large numbers at the political level, and also through the legal measures that Israel has taken. Germany and the United States supply 99 percent of the weapons exported to Israel. They could stop this conflict overnight, if they stopped the weapons that kill the Palestinians."

George Katrougalos, Special Rapporteur on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, echoed the concern for the broader consequences of impunity for the international order, warning that Israel's actions risk creating a two-tiered system where some states are immune to consequences.

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): GEORGE KATROUGALOS, Special Rapporteur on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order
"What is important now is to have full respect of the amnesty declared, protection of minorities, all minorities, but especially Christians and Alloys, and hoping that in the future, we are going to have an inclusive future for Syria, including all the population, regardless of religious or ethnic divides."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Geneva, Switzerland.
(XHTV)