Rachel Frankel addressed UNHRC this morning with 2 mothers by her side; all 3 now meeting with UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri
Today: Mothers of 3 Kidnapped Israeli Teenagers to Appear at UN
GENEVA, – Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch is bringing Rachel Frankel, the mother of 16-year-old Israeli-American kidnap victim Naftali Frankel, who was one of three boys abducted on June 12th, to speak before the United Nations Human Rights Council later this morning, on June 24.
UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri is right now meeting with Mrs. Frankel, together with Iris Yifrach and Bat-Galim Shaar, mothers of the two other kidnapped teenagers, Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaar.
All three just appeared before the 47-nation Council together to urge the UN and the international community to do everything it can to help find the boys and bring them home safely. So far, the Council has been silent on the plight of the abducted teens.
UN Watch, which has been the most active NGO voice at this Council session on critical human rights issues, invited Mrs. Frankel to come to Geneva to use the NGO's slot to address the Council.
Rachel Frankel (center), mother of 16-year-old kidnap victim Naftali Frankel, accompanied by Iris Yifrach (right) and Bat-Galim Shaar (left), mothers of the two other teenaged kidnap victims, Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaar, will directly address the United Nations for the first time on behalf of the human rights group UN Watch.
“UN Watch condemns the kidnapping of the three boys, which the ICRC rightly described as a war crime, and calls for their immediate, unconditional and safe return,” said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer.
“This heinous act violates international humanitarian law, which prohibits targeting civilians and the taking of hostages. We are are in awe of Mrs. Frankel's strength of spirit, and are grateful for the opportunity to offer her an international platform, together with the other two mothers, to appeal for the safe release of her son and the other two boys. We hope the international community will collectively heed her call."
UN Watch is a Geneva-based human rights organization founded in 1993 to monitor UN compliance with the principles of its Charter. It is accredited as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and as an Associate NGO to the UN Department of Public Information (DPI).
