UN body concerned over Israel’s participation in review of rights record

The top United Nations rights body says Israel appears to be reluctant to submit to a routine review of its record.

A spokesman for the 47-nation Human Rights Council told reporters in Geneva Tuesday that Israel’s participation is in doubt after it asked for the Jan. 29 review to be postponed and its ambassador skipped a meeting to discuss the situation.

The spokesman, Rolando Gomez, said that diplomats from other nations expressed concern about Israel’s reluctance to participate in the Geneva-based council’s standard review.

Gomez said diplomats stressed the “utmost importance to preserve the credibility and integrity” of the process in which all 193 U.N.-member nations accept an examination of their human rights record every four years.