The international community today took a firm stance totally isolating the United States over its opposition to Palestinian rights and its support for Israel’s criminal violations of international humanitarian law.

The UN Human Rights Rights Council in Geneva passed four resolutions on the question of Palestine, and as these tweets from the Palestine Liberation Organization indicate, the United States was the sole “no” vote in every single case.

Resolution on Palestinian right to self determination approved today at @UNHRC by 46 votes to 1 (@USUN). — Palestine PLO-NAD (@nadplo) March 28, 2014

Resolution on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory at @UNHRC approved by 46 votes to 1 (@USUN) — Palestine PLO-NAD (@nadplo) March 28, 2014

Resolution on the human rights situation in occupied #Palestine at @UNHRC approved by 46 votes to 1 (@USUN) — Palestine PLO-NAD (@nadplo) March 28, 2014

Resolution on #Gaza at the @UNHRC approved by 46 votes to 1 (@USUN) — Palestine PLO-NAD (@nadplo) March 28, 2014

“Criminal complicity”

Anti-Palestinian groups, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) had strongly criticized the resolutions (A/HRC/25/L.37/Rev.1) including one urging UN member states to “ensure that they are not taking actions that assist in any way the expansion of settlements or construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, either directly or indirectly.”

The resolution urges states “to take appropriate measures to encourage businesses domiciled in their territory and/or under their jurisdiction, including those owned or controlled by them, to refrain from committing or contributing to gross human rights abuses of Palestinians, in accordance with the expected standard of conduct in the Guiding Principles and relevant international laws and standards.”

This marks a step forward in outlawing private corporations’ complicity with Israeli crimes.

But based on comparison with earlier drafts quoted in media reports, the final revision of the resolution appears to have been watered down to remove references to “international criminal liability, for corporate complicity in breaches of international law related to illegal settlements.”

Before the vote, the ADL’s Abe Foxman had warned that the “resolution attempts to advance a very similar position to elements of the vehemently anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and at the same time, it puts a serious damper on the current peace talks taking place.”

Human rights crimes

Another resolution (A/HRC/25/L.38/Rev.1) condemns a horrifying list of human rights abuses against Palestinians, including the detention of thousands of “Palestinians, including many children and women and elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Council” in “Israeli prisons or detention centres under harsh conditions, including, inter alia, unhygienic conditions, solitary confinement, lack of proper medical care, denial of family visits and denial of due process, that impair their well-being.”

The resolution also expresses “deep concern” about “the ill-treatment and harassment of any Palestinian prisoner and all reports of torture.”