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Last update - 13:49 09/04/2008
Israel to deny UN official entry for comparing Israel to Nazis
By The Associated Press
Tags: israel, united nations 

The Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it will not allow the United Nations official appointed to investigate Israeli-Palestinian human rights to enter the country, after he stood by comments comparing Israelis to Nazis.

Richard Falk is scheduled to take up his post with the UN Human Rights Council in May, but the Foreign Ministry said it will deny Falk a visa to enter Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, at least until a September meeting of the council.

At that meeting, Israel intends to ask the council to expand the envoy's mission to include investigating Palestinian human rights abuses against Israelis. The mandate currently allows him to monitor only human rights violations by Israel in the Palestinian territories.
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Israel will also express its displeasure with the council's choice of Falk as investigator. "If he already believes Israel is like the Nazis, how fair will he be?" said a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Israel has objected for years to what it perceives as anti-Israel bias by many UN bodies.

According to a Tuesday posting on the British Broadcasting Corporation's Web site, Falk defended statements he made last summer equating Israel's treatment of Palestinians with Nazi treatment of Jews during the Holocaust. He told BBC News that Israel has been unfairly shielded from international criticism.

Six million Jews were killed by the Nazis during World War II in an effort to liquidate all of Europe's Jews. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson called Falk's comments "unacceptable and, in fact, a little strange."

"To compare Israel to the Nazis is not just a total falsehood, it's also a personal insult to everybody," he said, adding that the choice of Falk is indicative of the Human Rights Council's negative attitude toward Israel. "Of all the people to be able to appoint, to find somebody who compares Israel to the Nazis is very bizarre and outrageous," he said.

The council's previous investigator, John Dugard from South Africa, compared Israeli treatment of Palestinians to apartheid, the discriminatory policy of the previous white regime in South Africa toward blacks.

Falk, a professor emeritus at Princeton University, could not be reached for comment.

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      1.   Falks Comes Out of This for the Better 20:15  |  Yaakov Sullivan 08/04/08
      2.   re: Sullivan. What`s good for the goose! 20:29  |  Lenny 08/04/08
      3.   Let`s get the facts straight 20:37  |  Marlene N. 08/04/08
      4.   Finally, Israel Shows Some Guts With Jewish Dreck 20:40  |  Tod Zuckerman 08/04/08
      5.   Israeli hissy fit 20:41  |  Clickfool 08/04/08
      6.   re: Sullivan. What`s good for the goose! 20:51  |  Aaron 08/04/08
      7.   "Truth Hurts", or... 20:52  |  samos 08/04/08
      8.   Now Israel is learning 20:54  |  Daniel 08/04/08
      9.   Yeah that`s how to show objectiveness Falk 21:01  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 08/04/08
      10.   truth hurts 21:03  |  jonah 08/04/08
      11.   I`LL BELIEVE FALK WHEN... 21:10  |  Ian 08/04/08
      12.   Appoint Amadinnerjacket to do the "investigation" 21:11  |  bernard ross 08/04/08
      13.   PROF FALK OF PRINCETON IS A SELF-HATING JEW 21:12  |  Princeton student 08/04/08
      14.   I am suggesting no such thing, Lenny #2 21:12  |  Yaakov Sullivan 08/04/08
      15.   sanos funny your hate shows your stupidity 21:14  |  Simcha 08/04/08
      16.   israel doesn`t have anything to hide 21:15  |  fish 08/04/08
      17.   UN Human rights 21:16  |  James Macdonald 08/04/08
      18.   UN 21:17  |  fish 08/04/08
      19.   Is Israel better than the Nazis? 21:17  |  Atoo 08/04/08
      20.   This is anti-Semitism by Falks 21:20  |  Mark B. 08/04/08
      21.   The TRUTH HURTS 21:25  |  Ray 08/04/08
      22.   If The Shoe Fits... 21:26  |  chet 08/04/08
      23.   marlene n 21:27  |  Connie 08/04/08
      24.   The best man: express UN rights council views 21:28  |  Alain 08/04/08
      25.   i would bar all UN officals from israel 21:31  |  vik 08/04/08
      26.   Vilnai`s shoa is greeting anyone who thinks 21:46  |  Kris Lazar 08/04/08
      27.   UN`s contempt for the Palestinians, on display again 21:47  |  Michael O. 08/04/08
      28.   you can call me ray 21:48  |  larry from maine 08/04/08
      29.   Haaretz andTalkback 21:58  |  Garry 08/04/08
      30.   Mr Falk: Show me where in Palestine are ... 21:59  |  Morris Valentine 08/04/08
      31.   re: Sullivan. What`s good for the goose! 22:03  |  Lenny 08/04/08
      32.   excellent decision 22:19  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/04/08
      33.   #28 - CFool, Natallie what do you make of this? 22:20  |  A Jew 08/04/08
      34.   James Macdonald is high 22:21  |  Fast Spin Echo 08/04/08
      35.   just tell him to falk off !he needs help to see the light 22:45  |  victor hardman 08/04/08
      36.   #1 Yaakov 22:50  |  Alex 08/04/08
      37.   VIK IS 100% RIGHT 22:51  |  CLICKDICK 08/04/08
      38.   They barred Desmond Tutu and dozens more 22:52  |  Joe 08/04/08
      39.   Hey professor, a suggestion to you: Go FALK yourself. 22:58  |  bat yam 08/04/08
      40.   no obligation, reason nor necessity to let him in. he`s dreck 23:01  |  ralph 08/04/08
      41.   Good for you UN !!!! 23:07  |  betz55 08/04/08
      42.   Abandon Israel NOW!! 23:08  |  William 08/04/08
      43.   FALK should be made to learn the Hamas charter by heart 23:09  |  PETER SM 08/04/08
      44.   Should have appointed a Canadian 23:13  |  Lynn 08/04/08
      45.   Elak had an affair with a arab boy 23:18  |  Chad 08/04/08
      46.   Israel & UN & Clickfool 23:19  |  Bobby 08/04/08
      47.   #5 Hey Clickfool - get out of the Falkland Islands 23:20  |  Henryk 08/04/08
      48.   You are stupid with no limits 23:22  |  Chad 08/04/08
      49.   I vote Clikfool for king of Hissey fits 23:24  |  Robert/Montreal 08/04/08
      50.   About time someone said something 23:29  |  Aaron 08/04/08
      51.   Yaakov Sullivan and your alter ego Sullivan 23:29  |  Robert/Montreal 08/04/08
      52.   Deny Visa to Gaza?: I thought the occupation was over? 23:30  |  NOT! 08/04/08
      53.   Desmond Tutu, et al (Joe) 23:34  |  Lenny 08/04/08
      54.   The Nazis were as obsessed with race and demographics as Israelis 23:35  |  Fact Man 08/04/08
      55.   Joe #38 would it be ok to you if I went to the west bank with the 23:36  |  Robert/Montreal 08/04/08
      56.   The Difference between an executioner and a murderer 23:37  |  David Bareka 08/04/08
      57.   It is time for Israel to be suspended from UN 23:44  |  Nick Ferriman 08/04/08
      58.   #52 Fact man Yep Israelis are real bad huh... 23:46  |  Robert/Montreal 08/04/08
      59.   Nick from Bangkok the land that does not blow up nite clubs 23:50  |  Robert /Montreal 08/04/08
      60.   I vote Clickfool King of the Hissy Fit 23:55  |  Ben 08/04/08
      61.   Kol hakavod Israel 23:59  |  Ilya 08/04/08
      62.   Robert/Montreal - Don`t waste your time on Sullivan 00:02  |  Ben 09/04/08
      63.   Ban Falk for Life 00:05  |  LENNY 09/04/08
      64.   Typical of the HRC, next the KKK will investigate the NAACP 00:05  |  Totaly fair 09/04/08
      65.   GARY RE HAARETZ TALKBACK 00:07  |  Ilya 09/04/08
      66.   Yaakov Sullivan 00:08  |  Benny 09/04/08
      67.   nazis 00:18  |  Ricardo Levy 09/04/08
      68.   #57, Ferriman 00:19  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/04/08
      69.   William of Portland-educate us USS Liberty lie 00:22  |  Stephen in New York 09/04/08
      70.   For A Jew # 33 00:28  |  Clickfool 09/04/08
      71.   nazis 00:30  |  Ricardo Levy 09/04/08
      72.   For Henryk # 47 00:31