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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel may deny visas for Tutu fact-finding trip to Beit Hanun |
| 2006-12-10 |
| Israel has not decided whether to grant visas to members of a UN fact-finding mission to the Gaza Strip led by South African Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, diplomatic officials in Jerusalem said on Saturday night. Tutu was to begin leading a six-member team this weekend in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun investigating the botched shelling that killed 19 people in Beit Hanun on November 8. "A decision on visas is pending," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said. "[The decision] is not about [Tutu] the person, but the process is extremely problematic, because it singles out Israel for special treatment and uses a human rights agenda to bash Israel." Government officials said last week they would not cooperate with the mission, but would not bar entry into the country of Tutu, a longtime critic of Israel. They said Tutu, who won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for his anti-apartheid efforts, was by no means "persona non-grata" in Israel. The 47-nation United Nations Human Rights Council asked Tutu to report back by mid-December, assessing the situation of the Beit Hanun victims, addressing the needs of survivors and making recommendations on ways to protect Palestinian civilians against further Israeli attacks. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #11 Newspapers are only worthwhile to smack someone with if they're wrapped around a large baseball bat (it does make for interesting bruises...). |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2006-12-10 18:54 |
| #10 Salt his airport food with Po Russian Style? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-12-10 16:42 |
| #9 so they pick an outspoken critic of Israel to go on a "fact finding" mission. They don't even bother to try to appear even handed!!! |
| Posted by: PlanetDan 2006-12-10 15:38 |
| #8 let em fact-find in Sderot |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-12-10 14:38 |
| #7 Gromgoru here's how to use the newspaper. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2006-12-10 06:20 |
| #6 I'd like to see someone use a considerable amount of what made Mr. Nobel's fortune on Mr. Tutu and company. |
| Posted by: mac 2006-12-10 05:33 |
| #5 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu I've read enough. |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-12-10 03:47 |
| #4 Tell Tutu to go screw himself and any number of UN partichants thereafter. The asshole is worse than useless. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-12-10 01:01 |
| #3 You mean it isn't now? With the blue helmets and such..... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-12-10 00:27 |
| #2 I don't think members of fact-finding missions should be wearing tutus. I mean, this diplomacy biz is supposed to be like, all serious and stuff. Next thing you know, the uniform of the day at the UN will be clown suits. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2006-12-10 00:24 |
| #1 And old Jewish saying. "He hit me with a brick, so I slapped him with a newspaper". |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-12-10 00:08 |