UNHRC Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967
We refer to the recent recommendation by the Consultative Group to the President of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that Professor Penelope Green be appointed Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.
We call on the UK Government not to support Professor Green’s appointment as she is not neutral on the issue.
Professor Green is a long-standing critic of Israel who has made no secret of her views. For example:
- Professor Green has signed an open letter entitled “Israel must lose”, in which she and others accused Israel of “waging a war against the people of Palestine for more than 60 years”. The letter could not be clearer in its declaration of partiality, saying: “we are obliged to take sides… against Israel”.[1] Another open letter signed by Professor Green alleges that “[e]ntire families have been murdered” by Israel.
- Professor Green has also tweeted that Israel has a “criminal government”, which should be resisted,[2] and used language reminiscent of blood libels, claiming Israel has engaged in the “brutal killing of children”.[3]
- In a published article Professor Green alleged that “Israel and its international backers engage in state crimes on a colossal scale”.[4]
It is a fundamental principle of justice that “no one shall be the judge of his own cause”. Through her public pronouncements Professor Green has identified with and adopted the condemnation of Israel as her cause and has thereby disqualified herself from any form of judicial position concerning the conflict.
[1] “Israel Must Lose, Petition: Growing outrage at the killings in Gaza, Global Research, January 17 2009, http://www.globalresearch.ca/israel-must-lose/11855
[2] P. Green, Tweet of 23 October 2015, https://twitter.com/pennyjgreen/status/657598191160971264
[3] P. Green, Tweet of 18 July 2014, https://twitter.com/pennyjgreen/status/489898087910227968
[4] P. Green, The War on Gaza: Israeli state crime and western complicity, International State Crime Initiative, http://statecrime.org/state-crime-research/the-war-on-gaza-israeli-state-crime-and-western-complicity/