GENEVA: An embattled UN rights expert who probes Israel’s conduct towards Palestinians yesterday rejected calls to step down, saying his opponents were trying to silence his criticism of the Jewish state by labelling him anti-Semitic.
“I don’t intend to resign, and there doesn’t seem to be any formal initiative that is seeking my dismissal,” Richard Falk told reporters, a day after calling for an international investigation of Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners. Falk, an 82-year-old American who is an emeritus law professor at Princeton University, has been the UN Human Rights Council’s monitor for the Palestinian territories since 2008.
He rejected claims of anti-Semitism, saying they were “hurtful” and “completely malicious”, given that he is Jewish himself.
Bomb found in Italy embassy car in Libya
TRIPOLI: Security personnel sweeping an Italian diplomatic car about to enter the embassy compound in the Libyan capital yesterday discovered a bomb attached to its undercarriage, diplomatic and security officials said. The car was immediately driven away to a safe area and a controlled explosion was carried out. “The vehicle was taken away from the embassy by (Libyan) security services who blew it up,” a diplomat said on condition of anonymity. Agencies
