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Former New York Judge Named to U.N. Panel on Gaza Conflict Former New York Judge on U.N. Gaza Panel
(about 2 hours later)
GENEVA — The president of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday named a former New York judge to be the third member of a three-person panel established to investigate possible international law violations by Israel and Hamas in the Gaza conflict. GENEVA — The president of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday named a former New York judge to be the third member of a three-person panel established to investigate possible international law violations by Israel and Hamas in the Gaza conflict.
The council president, Baudelaire Ndong Ella, picked Mary McGowan Davis, a legal consultant who retired in 1998 as a Supreme Court justice in New York State and worked as a Legal Aid Society lawyer and an assistant federal prosecutor. She joins a panel led by Prof. William Schabas, a Canadian expert on international law. The other member is Doudou Diène, a lawyer from Senegal who has served as a United Nations special rapporteur on racism.The council president, Baudelaire Ndong Ella, picked Mary McGowan Davis, a legal consultant who retired in 1998 as a Supreme Court justice in New York State and worked as a Legal Aid Society lawyer and an assistant federal prosecutor. She joins a panel led by Prof. William Schabas, a Canadian expert on international law. The other member is Doudou Diène, a lawyer from Senegal who has served as a United Nations special rapporteur on racism.
The panel’s investigation, set up by a Palestinian-sponsored resolution in a Human Rights Council session at the end of July, is scheduled to report back in March 2015. In a statement to that session, the top United Nations human rights official, Navi Pillay, condemned Hamas rocket attacks on Israel and Israel’s military assaults on Gaza. She asserted that the high number of Palestinian deaths belied Israel’s claim that all necessary precautions had been taken to protect civilian lives.The panel’s investigation, set up by a Palestinian-sponsored resolution in a Human Rights Council session at the end of July, is scheduled to report back in March 2015. In a statement to that session, the top United Nations human rights official, Navi Pillay, condemned Hamas rocket attacks on Israel and Israel’s military assaults on Gaza. She asserted that the high number of Palestinian deaths belied Israel’s claim that all necessary precautions had been taken to protect civilian lives.
Israel has denounced the inquiry, describing it as a “kangaroo court” incapable of impartial deliberations, and has said it will conduct its own investigation.Israel has denounced the inquiry, describing it as a “kangaroo court” incapable of impartial deliberations, and has said it will conduct its own investigation.
The Israeli complaints of prejudice in the United Nations inquiry were reinforced by the appointment of Professor Schabas, who is on record as stating his wish to see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel “within the dock of the International Criminal Court.”The Israeli complaints of prejudice in the United Nations inquiry were reinforced by the appointment of Professor Schabas, who is on record as stating his wish to see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel “within the dock of the International Criminal Court.”
Some United Nations officials have expressed regret at an appointment that made the investigation vulnerable to the accusation of anti-Israeli bias. Professor Schabas has said he has his own opinions on Israel and Palestine but has denied that he is biased against Israel; he has also said that he had no intention of bowing to calls by some critics to resign.Some United Nations officials have expressed regret at an appointment that made the investigation vulnerable to the accusation of anti-Israeli bias. Professor Schabas has said he has his own opinions on Israel and Palestine but has denied that he is biased against Israel; he has also said that he had no intention of bowing to calls by some critics to resign.
Ms. McGowan Davis, who served as a consultant to the international tribunal on Rwanda and to the International Criminal Court has worked on other inquiries into Israeli conduct that were denounced by the Israeli government. In 2010 and 2011 she led a committee formed to follow up on the so-called Goldstone report on the 2008-9 Israeli military invasion of Gaza.Ms. McGowan Davis, who served as a consultant to the international tribunal on Rwanda and to the International Criminal Court has worked on other inquiries into Israeli conduct that were denounced by the Israeli government. In 2010 and 2011 she led a committee formed to follow up on the so-called Goldstone report on the 2008-9 Israeli military invasion of Gaza.
That report, named after Richard Goldstone, the South African jurist who led it, found evidence of potential war crimes by Israel and Hamas, including evidence that Israeli troops had deliberately targeted civilians as a matter of policy. Mr. Goldstone later backtracked from that conclusion, damaging the credibility of the report.That report, named after Richard Goldstone, the South African jurist who led it, found evidence of potential war crimes by Israel and Hamas, including evidence that Israeli troops had deliberately targeted civilians as a matter of policy. Mr. Goldstone later backtracked from that conclusion, damaging the credibility of the report.
In her report, Ms. McGowan Davis said that Israel had committed significant resources to investigate more than 400 cases of operational misconduct in the 2008-9 conflict, but that the slow pace of the investigations could undermine any prospect of justice or accountability.In her report, Ms. McGowan Davis said that Israel had committed significant resources to investigate more than 400 cases of operational misconduct in the 2008-9 conflict, but that the slow pace of the investigations could undermine any prospect of justice or accountability.