B’nai B’rith International spoke before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva during the anti-Israel “agenda item 7” session. B’nai B’rith addressed UNHRC special rapporteur Richard Falk’s appalling recent comments blaming the Boston Marathon bombings on the United States’ foreign policy and urged his removal.

“Just a few weeks ago, the entire world was shocked to hear and see the bombing that occurred at the end of the Boston Marathon resulting in the death of three and the injury of hundreds of innocent bystanders,” B’nai B’rith representative to the U.N. in Geneva Klaus Netter said. “Yet there were a few contrary reactions, such as the one expressed by the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories… In the Foreign Policy Journal dated 21 April 2013, he wrote: ‘The American global domination project is bound to generate all kinds of resistance… the United States has been fortunate not to experience worse blowbacks.’” 

Netter’s comments continued:

“A few days later, a U.N. spokesman said that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the Boston Marathon bombing and that he ‘strongly believed that nothing can justify such an attack,’” Netter quoted the spokesman as saying. “He rejected Falk’s comments and indicated that…such public comments by special rapporteurs ‘could undermine the U.N.’s credibility and the work of the United Nations.’”

Separately, B’nai B’rith joined European representatives at the council and U.S. Ambassador to the UNHRC Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe in taking Falk to task on a biased report he delivered at the council blasting Israeli policies toward Gaza.

Netter noted that only the council can remove Falk from his position and added, “We strongly urge such action at this session of the council.”