In a striking incident during a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), a video statement by Anne Bayefsky, Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, was abruptly cut off after just a few seconds. The incident occurred while discussing the report by U.N. High Commissioner Volker Türk concerning the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly highlighting the Bibas family tragedies. Bayefsky was silenced after stating, “The world now knows Palestinian savages murdered 9-month-old baby Kfir”, prompting President Jürg Lauber to assert that such language was unacceptable and interrupted her presentation.
Despite the UNHRC’s guidelines requiring prior submission of video transcripts by NGOs, Bayefsky expressed concerns that the council had anticipated her statement and preemptively censored her. She emphasised the distressing irony of her claims being labelled inappropriate while various accusations against Israel went unchecked during the same interactive session. In her words, “It’s a total farce. There is no free speech at the U.N. for any NGO that calls out U.N. antisemitism.”
Bayefsky explained that her intention was to address the critical realities faced by the Bibas family within the time constraints of her statement. Her remarks also targeted Commissioner Türk, whom she labelled as a driver of Palestinian terrorism and antisemitism. In her blocked video, she even went so far as to describe him as the “High Commissioner for Human Wrongs”, raising questions about his past statements regarding Israeli actions.
Critics have condemned Türk for seemingly equating the violence initiated by Hamas with Israel’s retaliatory actions, pointing to the unrestrained allegations made against Israel during the same session, which went without interruption. During the proceedings, accusations of torture, collective punishment, and even genocide were presented by other countries with no objection from Lauber, revealing a clear discrepancy in the handling of statements against and in support of Israel. Bayefsky concluded by calling for the cessation of funding to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
She highlighted that while past U.S. policies, especially under President Trump, cut participation in the UNHRC, significant funding to the OHCHR remained a concern. Emphasising the need for Americans to realize the implications of such funding, she stated, “If ever Americans needed one more reason not to pay another cent for U.N.-driven lethal antisemitism, this is it.”
During a recent UNHRC meeting, Anne Bayefsky’s video was cut short after she used strong language about the Bibas family’s tragedy. President Jürg Lauber deemed her words “inappropriate”, sparking debate over free speech. Bayefsky argues that the UN stages such censorship while allowing unfounded accusations against Israel to go unchallenged. She argues for cuts in U.S. funding to the OHCHR due to its biases.
The UNHRC’s censorship of Anne Bayefsky’s comments raises significant concerns about free speech and bias within the council. Despite thorough advance submissions of statements, the abrupt interruption highlights a systemic issue regarding how criticisms of Israel are often handled compared to other statements. As calls for accountability and funding cuts to the OHCHR grow louder, the discourse around the UN’s treatment of human rights issues remains deeply polarised.
Original Source: www.wfiwradio.com
