American Jewish law professor who has compared Israel to the Nazis chosen to probe IDF's actions.
By TOVAH LAZAROFFcheckpoint Falk 224.88(photo credit: AP)
The United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday appointed American Jewish law professor Richard A. Falk - who has compared Israel to the Nazis - as special investigator on Israeli actions in the territories for a six-year term.
Falk, who formerly taught international law at Princeton University, replaces South African professor John Dugard, who was an expert on apartheid.
Dugard leaves his post in June after seven years. He made waves when he compared Israeli actions in the territories with apartheid and colonialism.
Falk, in his academic writing, has already stated that a Palestinian holocaust was in the making.
Yitzhak Levanon, ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, spoke against Falk's appointment in an address to the council on Wednesday.
"In a recent article, [Falk] stated that he did not think it to be "an irresponsible overstatement to associate the treatment of Palestinians with the criminalized Nazi record of collective atrocity," Levanon said.
"He has taken part in a UN fact-finding mission which determined that suicide bombings were a valid method of 'struggle,'" Levanon said.
"He has disturbingly charged Israel with 'genocidal tendencies,' and accused it of trying to achieve security through 'state terrorism,'" Levanon said.
"Someone who has publicly and repeatedly stated such views cannot possibly be considered independent, impartial or objective," Levanon said.
