Don’t let Libya set the agenda

THE recent unrest in the Arab world has exposed a number of deficiencies in the international system.

The United Nations now contains an automatic majority of non-democratic nations, which, together with their knee-jerk defenders, have a majority in most of its bodies. This is amply demonstrated by the disproportionate amount of time spent condemning Israel.

An example of the “inmates running the asylum” is the UN Human Rights Council. This is a body that has whitewashed the human rights record of some of the world’s most repressive regimes, while also providing them with a forum to condemn the democratic Israel. The Libyan regime, currently massacring its citizens, was voted onto the HRC only last year. Only through an Orwellian flight of fancy could Libya’s protection of human rights ever have been considered positive. Now it seems like a sick joke. Nevertheless, in a secret ballot, 155 states voted to grant Libya a coveted place on the council. Ireland’s representatives didn’t protest at the time against Libya’s election. Even now, the UN has dithered on its responsibility to the Libyan people. It decided to suspend Libya, only after many days and hundreds of Libyans were murdered. Even the Arab League suspended Libya before the UN. Only now has Ireland added her voice against Libya — although the outgoing Irish Government always prided itself on being among the first to condemn Israel’s self-defence measures. The Freedom House’s 2010 “report card” on the HRC lambasted it for “disproportionate focus on Israel” . These are the people who this week level the “apartheid” lie against Israel, one of the last democracies in its region. Too many countries in the world have allowed political or financial expediency to colour their judgement on international relationships. It is time that all decent nations stopped engaging with murderous dictators. The people of our region deserve to transform the Middle East into a better place. Let’s hope the UN and Ireland stop lending hands to a scenario in which countries like Libya set the agenda.

Ruth Zakh

Deputy Ambassador Embassy of Israel

Dublin 4