Much has been debated as to whether the United Nations is an effective organization or is losing relevancy. But this diary isn't about that, rather that I came across a stunning bit of information about one of its representatives and thought it was extremely telling in why the UN is viewed by some as a wavering.
Ever heard of Richard Falk? In his Nation magazine biography, he is described as:
Richard Falk, professor emeritus of international law and practice at Princeton University, is the United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur in the Occupied Territories and a member of the Nation editorial board. He is the author of many books, including The Costs of War: International Law, the UN, and World Order After Iraq.
Falk made some headlines for being deported from Israel in December and recently made the claim that:
Hamas, he pointed out, consistently urged the continuation of its July 2008 Egypt-sponsored ceasefire with Israel and even its extension for up to 10 years. According to the respected British newsweekly, The Economist, Falk noted, Hamas proposed an extension of up to 20 years. “What is so revealing is the Israeli refusal to even acknowledge that this was a diplomatic initiative that would have probably ended any violence.”
Clearly this is false. But that is neither here nor there. What I found extremely shocking was when I looked a bit further in Falk's more interesting views and history.
1. Falk supported the Iranian revolution and attacked Jimmy Carter for labeling the Ayatollah Khomeini a religious fanatic.
2. Falk is a 9/11 conspiracy theorist.
3. Falk argues that Vietnam war protesters were entitled to bomb facilities in the US as a form of protest.
4. Compares Israel to Nazi Germany.
So yeah - Mr Falk is clearly a mixed bag and not shall we say a huge champion of human rights in the total sense of supporting the rights of all humans And more importantly - *he is representing the Palestinians people in this regard for the United Nations*. Maybe this needs to be rethought.
No comments:
Post a Comment