New York Times' @IKershner quotes William Schabas—"a former chairman of the UN Gaza Commission"—without mentioning he was forced to resign in disgrace when it was revealed Schabas failed to disclose a conflict of interest: his paid legal work for the PLO.
nytimes.com/2021/03/03/wor…
nytimes.com/2021/03/03/wor…
Ironically, however, that was not even the primary reason why the UNHRC's ill-fated appointment of William Schabas to head its 2014 Gaza inquiry was a travesty of justice.
I had a front-row seat in this drama, so let me share one memory:
I had a front-row seat in this drama, so let me share one memory:
2/ In September 2014, I was invited to meet with the inquiry's 3 commissioners—Schabas, Doudou Diène & Mary McGowan Davis—in a most magnificent room in Geneva's Palais des Nations.
They wanted to convince me (and my followers) that they would be fair. After listening patiently,
They wanted to convince me (and my followers) that they would be fair. After listening patiently,
3/ ...I handed Schabas this legal brief requesting his recusal, on grounds that his numerous prejudicial statements—pronouncing on the merits of the very question to be decided—gave rise to actual bias or the appearance thereof.
Schabas flew into a rage. unwatch.org/wp-content/upl…
Schabas flew into a rage. unwatch.org/wp-content/upl…
4/ Absurdly, Schabas absolutely refused to see how his prior & recent statements—e.g., “My favorite would be Netanyahu in the dock of the International Criminal Court”—might prejudice his impartiality on an investigation of Netanyahu.
For 6 months, Schabas rejected every appeal.
For 6 months, Schabas rejected every appeal.
5/ International legal scholars who called out Schabas' bias or appearance thereof—and his need to step down—included Lord Pannick QC, the Open Society's Aryeh Neier, former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, Prof. Joseph Weiler & Prof. M. Kremnitzer. unwatch.org/top-internatio…
6/ In the end, Schabas was forced to resign over a conflict of interest. UNHRC President Joachim Rücker confronted Schabas on his undisclosed paid legal work for the PLO, where he advised the Palestinians how to most effectively pursue Israel in the International Criminal Court.
7/ @IKershner @nytimes How can you quote Schabas on the ICC-Israel matter & portray him as an objective UN figure and legal scholar—without mentioning (a) he was a paid adviser for the PLO on how to pursue Israel at the ICC, and (b) the intensely partisan statements quoted above?
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