Boycotting Richard Falk

Richard Falk, long recognized as a biased United Nations special investigator has turned a new tack, this time lending his voice, his 'neutral' position, his experience and political leanings to the boycott of Israel-produced goods.  It is his considered opinion that international businesses "engaged in profit-making" within 'Israeli settlements', should withdraw themselves forthwith. 

He considers himself as representing "civil society", on behalf of the Palestinian Gazans, and of Hamas.  Hamas, yet another Arab/Muslim group, political and Islamist, dedicated openly to the destruction of the State of Israel should, in the opinion of Mr. Falk, be considered a 'civil society', recognized by other civil societies.

While the State of Israel, in its indomitable will to exist and to protect the lives and safety of its population through whatever means possible, including denying Hamas the importation of weapons through an entirely legitimate and internationally recognized protective measure of a land and sea blockade, is to be considered the aggressor, the threat to civil society.

Mr. Falk is the independent special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territories.  He see nothing amiss in the behaviour, in the official position of Hamas, yet everything wrong in the reaction of the State of Israel.  Mr. Falk does not condemn Hamas for its human rights abuses of the Gazan Palestinians, nor its holding them hostage to its aspirations to destroy Israel resulting in poor living conditions for the Palestinians.

He does not go out of his way as special rapporteur on human rights to decry the massive rocket shelling over the border from Gaza into Israel's border communities.  His concern lies solely for the well being of the Gazans; evidently Israelis can look after themselves.  And this is precisely what the State of Israel is responding to; the expectations by the world community that Israel will respond adequately to all the violence directed toward it and its people.

And then, of course, in responding, that same community that maintains a watchful eye on any possible Israeli indiscretions in fair play while being too busy doing that to maintain a vigil respecting violence emanating from Gaza toward Israel, predictably assails Israel for human rights violations, forcing the Palestinians to live in squalor, a result of Hamas' violent militant assaults on Israel.

Mr. Falk has identified no fewer than thirteen companies whom he accuses of doing business with the illegal entity of Israel.  Hewlett Packard, Motorola, Volvo and Caterpillar have responded in kind, complimenting their accuser with the acknowledgement that it is their intention to continue their relationship with the State of Israel.

UN Watch, ever watchful, has reminded of an anti-Semitic cartoon posted on Mr. Falk's blog several years ago, along with his 2008 claim of Israel's planning of a "Palestinian Holocaust".  Does any of this appear the work of a committed, neutral observer, whose main intent as a representative of the United Nations should be to further the cause of peace?

Canada lost no time in joining the United States and Israel in recommending the long-overdue resignation of Mr. Falk from his official position with the United Nations.  After which he could then continue his splenetic love affair with blackening the name of the State of Israel.  There is no angry spite and malice that can quite match that of one who turns in hatred against his own.

To their credit, Caterpillar state their opinion that Mr. Falk's report "reflects his personal and negative opinions toward Israel", while Hewlett Packard characterized Mr. Falk as "far from an independent and unbiased expert in this matter", in view of the company's own strong human rights policy.