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Arab League rejects Israel’s nomination as chair of UN legal committee

June 13, 2016 at 10:19 am

The Arab League has rejected the nomination of Israel as chair of the UN General Assembly Sixth Committee, its general-secretary announced.

Elaraby made the announcement during a meeting with representatives of the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) which nominated Israel for the position.

According to the UN: “The Sixth Committee is the primary forum for the consideration of legal questions in the General Assembly,” Elaraby said it was unreasonable for Israel to head the committee, as it regularly commits illegal acts, including the construction of the Separation Wall, violations of Palestinian human rights, the daily arrest of children and women, as well as the practice of administrative detention. He added that Israel commits violations of international and humanitarian law on a regular basis and should not be eligible to chair the committee.

Last week, senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Hanan Ashrawi slammed the nomination saying it was “making a mockery of the international legal system and rewarding Israel for its flagrant violations of international law and acts of collective punishment and violence.”