Now, Israel accuses UN of hypocrisy

At issue was Israel’s first introduction of a resolution since 1976, a draft condemning Palestinian suicide bombings against Israeli children. It was meant to mirror a resolution demanding protection for Palestinian children, which was adopted by the panel last week.

Amendments proposed collectively by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan and others would have substituted ‘‘Middle East’’ for ‘‘Israeli’’ children and inserted language condemning ‘‘foreign occupation’’ and ‘‘violation of international law’’.

Gillerman signalled that Israel, the target of hundreds of critical resolutions, was changing strategy and taking the offensive instead of responding with speeches in the 191-member Assembly that is sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

In a separate news conference, the Palestinian UN observer Nasser al-Kidwa called the Israeli draft an attempt to divert from the unique situation of Palestinian children, who were deprived of every right included in a 1990 UN treaty on the rights of the child, from the right of statehood to the right of physical protection. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, as most Security Council resolutions are, but they are a reflection of world opinion. (Reuters)