ADL condemns int'l community's 'rush to judgment' on Nakba Day deaths
Palestinian officials label the deaths a "war crime" have called on the UN to take "punitive action."
By JPOST.COM STAFFAbe Foxman 370(photo credit: SAM SOKOL)
The Anti Defamation League criticized the "rush to judgment" by the United Nations and others in the international community calling for increased levels of investigation into the actions of the IDF regarding the deaths of two Palestinian youths during a riot on May 15.“The international community must respect the IDF’s right and responsibility to fully investigate this incident, and should refrain from rashly calling for extraordinary action before all the facts have been examined,” ADL Director Abe Foxman said.Foxman also called public comments on the incident by the UN and others "inappropriate and unwarranted."Two videos released on Tuesday showing that the teens were not engaged in violence at the moment of their death gained international attention as the Palestinian Authority labeled the incident a war crime.The PLO called on the UN to enact punitive measures against Israel for their "violations of international and humanitarian law."Assistant UN secretary general for political affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco called for an investigation into the incident, saying that he "urges Israel to ensure that its security forces strictly adhere to the basic principles on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials," at a briefing of the UN Security Council.The US State Department issued a statement on Tuesday calling for a separate "prompt and transparent investigation" into the incident and for restraint on all sides.Responding to the videos, the IDF Spokesperson's Office said: "On Thursday, an illegal and violent disturbance occurred in Beitunia. The said video is edited in a tendentious manner and does not reflect the level of violence that occurred at the disturbance."
