New York, NY, March 19, 2007 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called a proposal for the United Nations Human Rights Council to create a mandate by which to permanently probe Israeli violations of international law, "a disgraceful abuse of power and an affront to the very concept of human rights."

"Once again, the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations are inordinately focused on alleged Israeli violations while ignoring or downplaying the most serious human rights crises around the world," said Glen S. Lewy, ADL National Chair and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.  "To use the U.N. Human Rights Council as an institutional bludgeon against the state of Israel is a disgraceful abuse of power and an affront to the very concept of human rights."

In a letter to Louise Arbour, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, ADL also expressed concern that the Council is considering appointing Special Rapporteur John Dugard as a permanent investigator of Israel's actions.  The League previously called for his dismissal based on his severely biased assessments of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"We have repeatedly expressed our concerns with John Dugard's persistent and undeniably biased attacks on Israel," wrote Messrs. Lewy and Foxman.  "In response to our March 2007 letter calling for Mr. Dugard's dismissal, we received a letter from Scott Campbell on your behalf explaining that special rapporteurs are independent experts and not U.N. officials and are thus entitled to express their own views.

"Clearly, this explanation is insufficient if Mr. Dugard is to be appointed by the Human Rights Council to a permanent position."

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.