Editorial: Finding out truth not high on the list

Wednesday, May 1, 2002 | 9:15 a.m.

On Tuesday Israel decided to block a United Nations investigation into allegations that its military had massacred civilians during its offensive into the West Bank town of Jenin. Even though no evidence has been offered to back up claims of atrocities, a week ago Israel had agreed to a U.N.-led inquiry. But soon after the composition of the investigating team's panel was made public, the Israeli government quickly rejected the plan, a reasonable response in light of how the deck would be stacked against the nation.

Of particular concern to Israel was the U.N. panel's inclusion of Cornelio Sommaruga, who from 1987 to 1999 was president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which consistently has rejected Israel's bid for membership into that organization. It was Sommaruga who in 1999 was upset by then-American Red Cross President Bernadine Healy's criticism of Israel's exclusion from the International Committee of the Red Cross. After Healy made her warranted rebuke, Sommaruga told her: "If we're going to have the shield of David, why would we not have to accept the swastika?" No wonder Israel was upset by Sommaruga's presence on the U.N.'s so-called "fact-finding" commission.

Even if the composition of the U.N. commission were set aside as an issue, Israel is right to be worried about a biased report from the United Nations, which almost always sides with the Palestinians over the Israelis. Don't forget it was the United Nations that passed a resolution equating Zionism with racism. If the international body genuinely was concerned about atrocities, it would simultaneously investigate the Palestinian suicide bombings. But don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen.