Today is International Human Rights Day, marking the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. I didn't see much press on it here in the States. Unsurprising, since the late intellectual luminary Jeane Kirkpatrick called it "a Letter to Santa Claus", I don't expect a commemorative Presidential statement.
Last month, the United Nations Human Rights Council asked Human Rights icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu to lead a mission to Beit Hanoun in Northern Gaza to "assess the situation of victims, address the needs of survivors, and make recommendations on ways and means to protect Palestinians against further Israeli assaults."
Trouble is, Israel, hasn't iuued the visas necessary for Tutu to enter Gaza.
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The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa will lead a UN Human Rights Council mission to the town of Beit Hanoun, where 18 Palestinians were killed during Israeli military operations in early November.
The visit follows the Human Rights Council's adoption of a resolution calling for a mission to "assess the situation of victims, address the needs of survivors, and make recommendations on ways and means to protect Palestinians against further Israeli assaults." Luis Alfonso de Alba of Mexico is President of the Human Rights Council.
"The intention of the resolution is not only to find the facts that happened, but to identify ways and means to avoid those situations to happen again, and ways and means to protect civilians in conflict situations. "
UN Press Release
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was developed, in part in response to the horrors of the Holocaust and two world wars. It was drafted, in part, by Eleanor Roosevelt.
Bishop Tutu said, in 2002:
In our struggle against apartheid, the great supporters were Jewish people. They almost instinctively had to be on the side of the disenfranchised, of the voiceless ones, fighting injustice, oppression and evil. I have continued to feel strongly with the Jews. I am patron of a Holocaust centre in South Africa. I believe Israel has a right to secure borders
Guardian
Bishop Tutu also headed the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which is a breathtaking achievement in peaceful resolution to deep animosities resulting from decades of violent strife.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
In an official statement on the mission, Bishop Tutu said:
"...he was "honored" that the United Nations had asked him to lead a fact-finding mission. "I hope that our mission will advance the cause of peace and stability for Palestinian and Israeli alike, and contribute to halt the awful carnage and bloodletting,"
"I believe fervently that it is possible for Arab and Jew to live amicably together," he added.
Haaretz
However, in todays JPost:
The UN fact-finding mission to the Gaza Strip, led by South African Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, was delayed on Saturday because Israel had not yet decided whether to grant visas to the mission's members, diplomatic officials in Jerusalem said on Saturday night.
"A decision on visas is pending," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said. "[The decision] is not about [Tutu] the person, but the process is extremely problematic, because it singles out Israel for special treatment and uses a human rights agenda to bash Israel."
Israel delays UN mission to Beit Hanun
Should Israel grant Tutu a visa?
How are you celebrating International Human Rights day?
If you were a policy staffer for a Dem Congressperson, how would you advise them to respond to this matter?