Israel’s UN envoy calls Hebron observer force ‘violent, biased’

Israel’s UN ambassador accuses international observers in Hebron of acting as “a violent, biased” force and defends the Israeli government’s suspension of their mandate — and US support for Israel’s action.

Danny Danon says that instead of maintaining order and neutrality, the observers “used violence, created friction with the civilian population, and interfered with security forces.”

The United States on Wednesday blocked an Arab-backed Security Council statement put forward by Indonesia and Kuwait expressing regret at Israel’s action, recognizing the observer mission’s “efforts to foster calm in a highly sensitive area,” and calling for protection of Palestinian civilians.

The Temporary International Presence in Hebron or TIPH was established in 1994 following Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein’s massacre of 29 worshipers in the city’s Ibrahimi Mosque, a mosque at the Tomb of the Patriarchs holy site. In its latest form, Norway, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey provided unarmed observers and funded the mission.

Foreign ministers from the five countries expressed regret at Israel’s announcement in December that it would not renew TIPH’s mandate which expired on January 31, saying they “strongly object…any claim that the TIPH has acted against Israel. Such claims are unacceptable and ungrounded.”

— AP