'A bullying atmosphere': UN's Israel obsession sidelines atrocities elsewhere, ex-UN official says
DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: Former UN torture rapporteur Alice Jill Edwards talks to the Post on a culture of intimidation within the UN and its treatment of Israel.
In December 2024, Dr. Alice Jill Edwards, a former UN special rapporteur on torture, visited kibbutzim in Gaza where a massacre occurred a year prior. The sight of flowers growing amidst rubble and bullet holes in civilian homes deeply affected her. Edwards concluded that the lack of empathy for this suffering raises concerns about humanity.
Edwards, no longer serving as the UN's torture rapporteur, believes the international response to the October 7, 2023, massacre has been troubling. She notes the absence of investigations or reports, despite other conflicts receiving attention. She accuses two UN colleagues of failing to adequately address the atrocities, suggesting it was deliberate.
Edwards argues that civilians, including Israeli victims, deserve the same scrutiny as Israeli victims. She highlights the psychological torture suffered by families of hostages, comparing it to physical torture. Her criticism extends beyond Israel, calling for more attention to mass violence and abuse in other conflicts like Sudan, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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