Shalhevet, Rambam to protest at UN

Hundreds of Rambam Mesivta protesters will rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza outside the United Nations at 1 PM on Monday, followed by another vigil by Midreshet Shalhevet High School at 2 PM, to call for the ouster of Richard A. Falk from his U.N. position.

Falk was appointed by the United Nations Human rights council to a six-year term in 2008 as a United Nations Special Rapporteur on “the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967,” itself a politically distorted title, this after a long history of anti-Israel comments and views. He was recently criticized for posting an anti-Semitic cartoon on his website.

In response to the Boston Marathon bombing, Falk stated, “We in this country should not be too surprised given our drone attacks…in Afghanistan and Pakistan…is this not a kind of retribution for torture inflicted by American security forces?”

As for the Boston Marathon attack, Falk opined that, “the somewhat hysterical Boston dragnet for the remaining at large and alive suspect does suggest that the wounds of 9/11 are far from healed…we should be asking ourselves at this moment ‘How many canaries will have to die before we awaken from our geopolitical fantasy of global domination?’” He also condemned Israel, “As long as Tel Aviv has the compliant ear of the American political establishment, those who wish for peace and justice in the world should not rest easy.”

United States Representative Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania has led members of Congress in calling upon United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to have Falk removed from his post.

Rabbi Zev Friedman, Dean of Rambam Mesivta High School and Shalhevet High School for Girls, noted that Falk is essentially justifying the terror attacks. His comments, “hit a raw nerve,” continued Rabbi Friedman, he is “blaming the victims not the terrorist: it’s an outrage.” He added that Falk has compared Israelis to Nazis and he is a supporter of terrorists.

“The purpose of the rally is to further publicize who this guy is--he should be forced to step down or be fired.” He added that Falk should be discredited and condemned. The United States, said Friedman, a major financial supporter of the human rights commission, “should cut off funding to the human rights commission until he is removed. It’s unconscionable that Falk can remain a representative of the United Nations and member of the human rights commission. It’s an absurdity! It’s very clear that he has exhibited bias and hatred to both the United States and Israel and he has to be removed immediately.”

“At Shalhevet, the girls are taught the importance of getting involved in the world around us,” explained Midreshet Shalhevet menahelet (principal) Esther Eisenman. “The school will attend the rally to impress the importance of the issues to the community at large, but more importantly the rally was planned and organized by the students themselves who researched the issue and contacted political leaders last week.”

“I felt it was a good opportunity to learn that we can make a difference even as high school students,” said Shalhevet student Emma Seligson. “I feel that it is important to learn how to communicate with public officials in high school so that we can use it the rest of our lives,” noted fellow student Shoshi Gross. Another student, Noa Eliach noted the importance of the rally, that “it teaches us to stand up for what we believe in.”

“The purpose of the rally,” added Rabbi Friedman, “is to call attention to who Falk really is and to participate in putting pressure on parties concerned, whether the United Nations or members of Congress, to cut off funding to the Human Rights commission until he is removed. It really is an outrage.”