United Nations Flag at Headquarters in New York. Illustrative. By Joshua Spurlock
The United Nations hasn’t been particularly friendly towards Israel in recent years, but that doesn’t mean the international organization doesn’t still want and need Israeli assistance. Toward that end, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) hosted last week a seminar with the U.N. Medical Services Division and Human Resources, and more than 100 Israeli medical professionals, to discuss U.N. medical services and employment opportunities.
A press statement on the seminar posted to the MFA website said the event, which was done with the participation of the Israeli Ministry of Health, was “aimed at encouraging the participation of Israeli doctors in U.N. medical activities.” Dr. Jillian Farmer, Head of the U.N. Medical Services Division, and Steve Damond-Fagota, a senior officer of the U.N. Human Resources Department, made the presentation. Said the MFA press release, “This is another expression of Israel’s integration into the positive global agenda and the interest shown by the U.N. in recruiting Israelis into its ranks.”
The event was held the same day that United States Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley met with U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein to discuss the U.N. approach to Israel, among other topics.
According to a recap of the meeting by Haley’s office, Ambassador Haley encouraged High Commissioner al-Hussein to “help counter the [U.N.] Human Rights Council’s obsession with Israel.”
Haley has made anti-Israel bias at the U.N. a key talking point in her role as representative to the organization, repeatedly urging the international body to adjust its position on the Jewish State. The Human Rights Council is especially problematic in that regard, including a permanent agenda item to discuss Israel in particular, while actual violators of human rights get less consistent attention.
The press statement went on to note that Haley conveyed “her concerns that Council members exploit what should be the world’s premier rights body to promote their anti-Israel agenda, diverting attention from some of the worst human rights abusers including Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, May 21, 2017)