The United Nations General Assembly today elected Israel in a plenary session of its 193 members as the president of the 71st Session, in absence of other candidates and despite objections from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
During the election session, the OIC and the Arab League, as well as Syria and the Islamic Republic of Iran delivered speeches against the candidature of Israel.
Iran’s representative expressed regret over the decision of the committee and deemed the election a blow to the prestige and status of the United Nations legal committee.
“The Zionist regime is a symbol of illegality and violation of international law, and its selection for the chair of the UN Security Council legal committee is deplorable,” he said.
He referred to numerous violations of the UN Charter principles, rules of international law and human rights of the Palestinian people committed by the Israeli regime, and reminded the UN of its repeated resolutions in condemnation of these moves as well as Israel's refusal to accept the demands of the international community. He stressed that under such conditions, the election of Israel is deemed as a mockery of the principles of the UN Charter and the ideals which this organization has been founded to achieve.
Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Representative to the UN said Israel as “an occupying power that is in grave breach of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, and innumerable UN resolutions,” is "unqualified and inappropriate" to chair the Sixth Committee.
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