15 October 2009 – In an address to the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Aharon Leshno Yaar expressed his disdain for the Goldstone Report, saying:

"We still do not understand how a report that completely ignored the concept of Israel's inherent right of self defense, Hamas' smuggling of weapons and Israel's genuine humanitarian efforts during the conflict could be seen as anything but biased and irrelevant… The only beneficiaries of today's proposal would be Hamas and their allies who only seek division and conflict and an end to any hope for peace."

For the full statement, please click here.

16 October 2009 – In an additional speech, Ambassador Aharon Leshno Yaar highlighted Justice Goldstone's statement that “this draft resolution saddens me because it only makes allegations against Israel. There is not one single sentence condemning Hamas...”

The Ambassador also noted that "[t]here are still members of this Council that had no interest in the report, no interest in human rights, no interest in self defense, no interest in the actual questions that face democracies in fighting terror…[I]f you would like to see Israelis and Palestinians gain the confidence to take risks, if you would like to see improvements on the ground for all sides, if you want to see the moderates in the region gain ground and reject extremism, you must reject today’s proposal."

For the full statement, please click here.

29 September 2009 – The Goldstone Report was already discussed during the 12th Regular Session Human Rights Council, where Ambassador Aharon Leshno Yaar stressed that a "report which is based on carefully selected incidents, cherry picked for political effect…gives credibility to every allegation or hearsay against Israel, and none to even direct admissions of guilt by Hamas leaders…Regrettably this one-sided report, claiming to represent international law but in fact perverting it to serve a political agenda, can only weaken the standing of international law in future conflicts…The authors of this "Fact-finding Report" had little concern with finding facts. The Report was instigated as part of a political campaign, and it represents a political assault directed against Israel and against every state forced to confront terrorist threats…Unlike the Hamas terrorists who rejoice with every civilian death, Israel regards every civilian casualty as a tragedy. Israel is committed to fully examining every allegation of wrongdoing. Not because of this Report but despite it."

For the full statement, please click here.

30 September 2009 – For the fourth session of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Integration of the UNECE, the Deputy Permanent Representative Ron Adam presented a report on the progress which has thus far been made by the comprehensive programme of capacity building in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).

"The demand for our services is now bigger than our available resources. We will continue to provide a service but it will be challenging to help with implementation in countries with our current level of secretariat support."

Deputy Permanent Representative Ron Adam commended "some of the members of the team of specialists who are helping the secretariat to engage with the private sector in this effort to raise further resources for PPP capacity building."

For the full statement, please click here.

22 September 2009 – At the UNCTAD 56th TDB session, Ron Adam addressed the Report on UNCTAD’s Assistance to the Palestinian people. Although Israel commends any program and project which aim to promote the situation of the Palestinian economy, the report entertains many distortions, inaccuracies and politically-motivated one sided statements. As a result, Israel presented a report titled: "Supporting Palestinian Capacity Building: Israel's efforts in Supporting the Palestinian Economy, Civil Affairs and Security Reforms".

For the full statement, please click here.

18 September 2009 - Before the 12th general session of the Human Rights Council, Israel addressed the report of the High Commissioner on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

"[A]s we all mark the 60th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, it is appropriate to ask the important questions that are raised in the Report of the High Commissioner about the impact of counter terrorism measures. At the same time it is vital to recognize that these concerns must be balanced with the most basic of rights, the right of an ordinary citizen, of every human being, to the "inherent right to life" as provided for in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

16 June 2009 – During the 11th General Session of the Human Rights Council Ambassador Aharon Leshno Yaar commented on the Durban Review Conference Outcome Document. He noted:

"The Durban Review Conference Outcome Document most regrettably reaffirms the flawed [Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA)] of 2001, which Israel and other countries firmly opposed.  By specifically mentioning the Middle East conflict and solely singling out Israel in a conference against racism, the DDPA twists the conflict's political nature into an allegedly "racist" one."

Ambassador Aharon Leshno Yaar reaffirmed that "Israel, as the state of the Jewish people, remains fully committed to the values of tolerance, democracy, and human rights. The necessary struggle against racism and xenophobia will always find in Israel a willing and ready partner. Israel is willing to work with the High Commissioner, her office, and like-minded member states in order to advance the fight against racism and put it back on track."

For the full statement, please click here.

16 June 2009 - At the 11th General Session of the Human Rights Council Ambassador Aharon Leshno Yaar restated Israel's position on negotiations with the Palestinians:

 "We are willing to come to the table of bilateral negotiations. But as the Prime Minister said, “Even as we look toward the horizon, we must be firmly connected to reality, to the truth. And the simple truth is that the root of the conflict was, and remains, the refusal to recognize the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own, in their historic homeland…If we receive [a] guarantee regarding demilitarization and Israel’s security needs, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the State of the Jewish people, then we will be ready in a future peace agreement to reach a solution where a demilitarized Palestinian state exists alongside the Jewish state.”

For the full statement, please click here.

5 June 2009 – Speaking at the 11th General Session of the HRC, Mr. Walid Abu-Haya stressed the importance for respect of fundamental human rights. He voiced Israel's concern over rampant violations of these rights by Syria and Iran, noting that:

"The Syrian Arab Republic systematically violates human rights through actions taken against the general population; actions which find expression in Syria’s control over most sources of information as well as the persecution of specific groups considered to be a threat to the state for expressing so-called “illegal expression"...Iran continues to commit grave human rights violations unchecked by the international community. Severe restrictions on freedom of expression and opinion, freedom of assembly, unprecedented discriminations against women and minorities, and vicious executions and draconic methods of punishment follow unfair trials, are the norm."

For the full statement, please click here.

11 March 2009 – In an address to a UNCTAD expert meeting on mainstreaming gender in trade policy, Adviser Helena Borukhovich focused "on women’s constructive potential of helping the global and local economies to get out of the crisis".

In this regard, Ms Borukhovich said that "Israel has always considered investment in training women to be central to sustainable development. Israel aims to implementation of the goal on gender equality and the empowerment of women within the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)."

Adviser Borukhovich concluded by offering UNCTAD Israel's cooperation to examine the benefits of mainstreaming gender perspective into trade policies.

For the full speech, please click here.