Israel, U.S. and Canada Reject UNHRC's Gaza Panel, Alamuddin pulls out.

UN Human Rights Council continues to be a sham for advancing human rights; today’s ann't for members of its Gaza inquiry reveals its agenda.
— John Baird (@HonJohnBaird) August 11, 2014

It’s an utter shame, and will do nothing to promote peace and dignity in Gaza for the Palestinian people. 2/
— John Baird (@HonJohnBaird) August 11, 2014

Israel, U.S. Reject UNHRC's Gaza Panel, Alamuddin pulls out. (INN). HT: IsraelMatzav.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry blasts UNHRC panel on Gaza, says panel members have already made up their minds.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry blasted on Monday the newly appointed United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) panel that will investigate allegations that Israel violated humanitarian law in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry noted that the appointment of Canadian professor William Schabas, who is known for his anti-Israel positions, means that the panel’s report has already been written.

Schabas has in the past called for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to be prosecuted for war crimes.
"The results are known in advance," a Foreign Ministry official said on Monday night.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor added, "If any further proof was required, the appointment of the chairman of the committee, whose views and positions against Israel are known to all, proves beyond any doubt that Israel cannot expect justice from such a body, and that the panel’s report has already been written and all that is left is to determine who will sign it.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department joined in on the criticism on Monday, with deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf telling reporters that any investigation related to Gaza should be done in a way that is non-biased.

“We’ve always said that if there are specific incidents that need investigation, that we think they should be. We said that with UNRWA schools and we’ve said that in other cases as well,” she said.
At the same time, she added, “there’s a way to investigate things that’s not one-sided and biased, and there’s a way that we don’t support.”

Hillel Neuer, head of the Geneva-based advocacy group UN Watch, also called on Schabas to recuse himself from the commission because of his past criticisms of Netanyahu.

"Under international law, William Schabas is obliged to recuse himself because his repeated calls to indict Israeli leaders obviously gives rise to actual bias or the appearance thereof," Neuer said in a statement.

"You can't spend several years calling for the prosecution of someone, and then suddenly act as his judge. It's absurd — and a violation of the minimal rules of due process applicable to UN fact-finding missions."
Schabas mocked that call.

Even though UN Watch mocked her appointment as an attempt to "inject some Hollywood publicity" into the process, Schabas expressed support for Alamuddin — but that was before she pulled out.

"I was contacted by the UN about this for the first time this morning," Alamuddin said.

"I am honoured to have received the offer, but given existing commitments — including eight ongoing cases — unfortunately could not accept this role."

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the confusion, or if someone else would replace her.