Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has called on the UN to end its inquiry into the 2021 Israel/Hamas conflict after a member of the team involved made antisemitic comments on a podcast.
In a letter posted on Twitter and addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Lapid said: "The Commission of Inquiry has been fundamentally tainted by the publicly expressed prejudices of its leadership, who do not meet the basic standards of neutrality, independence, and impartiality required by the United Nations,”
UN Sec-Gen @AntonioGuterres, I know you’re deeply committed to fighting antisemitism.
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) July 31, 2022
There are antisemites and those who defend them working at the @UN.
I call on you to dismiss the members of the @UN_HRC’s COI and disband this moral travesty of a commission once and for all. pic.twitter.com/aiqdKXe8aY
He continued: "These antisemitic remarks are a stain on the entire United Nations and are not befitting of a person with such a position of responsibility,”
Lapid's comments referred to remarks made by COI member Miloon Kothari in a podcast interview released last week.
In the interview, Kothari said: "We are very disheartened by the social media that is controlled largely by, whether it is the Jewish lobby or specific NGOs, a lot of money is being thrown in to try to discredit us,"
He also said he didn't understand why Israel was "even a member of the United Nations." and added: "the Israeli government does not respect its own obligations as a U.N. member state. They, in fact, consistently, either directly or through the United States, try to undermine U.N. mechanisms.”
Kothari is one of three UN investigators charged with investigating "all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law" in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
The COI was set up after the May 2021 conflict between Hamas and Israel and was given a broader remit than previous inquiries, which usually focus on specific incidents.
Supporters of Israel have said that this unique remit shows the body's bias against the Jewish state, while critics of the Israeli government's actions say it's necessary to monitor the complex situation.
Kothari's comments have also been condemned by officials from countries across Europe and North America including: UK, France, Germany, Canada, and the United States.
Recent comments by Miloon Kothari, a member of the @UN_HRC Israel Commission of Inquiry, questioning Israel’s UN membership and speaking of “the Jewish lobby” controlling social media are unacceptable and offensive.
— Simon Manley (@SimonManleyFCDO) July 28, 2022
Antisemitism has absolutely no place in the @UN.
Simon Manley, the UK permanent representative to the UN said the comments were "unacceptable and offensive."
The Israeli government has previously said they would not co-operate with the commission, accusing the body of being overtly hostile to Israel.
