One of the UN investigators apologized on Thursday for speaking of the “Jewish lobby” in an interview, remarks that Israel and Western diplomats had strongly denounced in Geneva.
In an interview posted on the Mondoweiss website on July 25, Miloon Kothari said: “We are very discouraged by social media, largely controlled by the Jewish lobby or by certain specific NGOs, who spend a lot of money trying to discredit us.” .
Words “deliberately taken out of context”
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called on UN chief Antonio Guterres on Sunday to work for the dissolution of the commission. The Israeli ambassador in Geneva, Meirav Eilon Shahar, also demanded the dissolution of the commission and the president of the Human Rights Council, the Argentine Federico Villegas, asked the expert to clarify his “unfortunate comments”.
“I wish to sincerely express my regret and unequivocally apologize for using the words ‘the Jewish lobby’. Letter sent Thursday to Federico Villegas and published by the UN.
“It was totally wrong of me to describe social media as ‘largely controlled by the Jewish lobby.’ This choice of words was wrong, inappropriate and insensitive,” he continued, noting that he “always condemned discrimination in all its forms.” shapes”. forms, including anti-Semitism”.
Commission chairman Navi Pillay of South Africa said last week that Miloon Kothari’s comments “appeared to have been deliberately taken out of context” and reflected “the commission’s disappointment at Israel’s continued lack of cooperation” with experts. .
Source: BFM TV
