Palestinian FM:

Leadership Under US Pressure to Abandon Chapter VII in Human Rights Council

TEHRAN (defapress)- Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Malki said on Sunday that the leadership has come under tremendous pressure from the United States to abandon Chapter VII in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and use instead Chapter IV when addressing the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

News ID: 69277

Date: 19 March 2018 - 14:05

He said ahead of Monday’s meeting of the UNHRC that the US has been pressuring Palestine to use Chapter IV instead of Chapter VII, pointing out that several US delegations have arrived in Geneva to pressure many countries not to vote for draft resolutions, expected to take place on Friday, that will be submitted by the Palestinian delegation, WAFA reported.

He said ahead of Monday’s meeting of the UNHRC that the US has been pressuring Palestine to use Chapter IV instead of Chapter VII, pointing out that several US delegations have arrived in Geneva to pressure many countries not to vote for draft resolutions, expected to take place on Friday, that will be submitted by the Palestinian delegation.

Malki stated that contacts are underway with the Palestine Mission to the UN in Geneva to foil the US attempts and ensure the passage of draft resolutions on Palestine.

The Foreign Minister explained that while Chapter VII deals with Israel's violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Chapter IV deals with peaceful settlement of worldwide disputes in general, meaning the United States “does not want to call things by their names and does not want to show that Israel violates human rights."

Meanwhile, Malki said efforts are continuing to get more recognition of the State of Palestine.

He said there are talks with France, Slovenia, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Luxemburg and Colombia in this regard to examine the possibility of having them recognize Palestine as an independent country.

He described the US threats aimed at punishing countries that do not support the US and Israeli positions in the UN General Assembly as “ridiculous and dangerous.”