Explaining UNHRC Targeting : Democracy, Human Rights, and Conflict – Applying Liberal IR to the Case of Israel

Abstract: Using several reputable datasets this thesis measures variables of democracy and freedom, human rights practice, and conflict for Israel, South Africa and Iran during the period 2015-2019. The thesis argues that the 2006 reform replacing the UN Commission on Human Rights with the Human Rights Council can be understood as an attempt to restructure a body marked by selectivity and reshape it based on the liberal ideal of a sincere institution. Drawing on liberal IR theory, hypotheses are formulated about the expected relationship between the aforementioned variables and UNHRC country-specific targeting. In comparing Israel to Iran and South Africa in two separate comparative designs the analysis reveals that variables emphasized by liberal IR do not appear to have a significant effect on UNHRC targeting concerning Israel. Conversely, the analysis finds that even though Iran is not considered a free democracy and assessed as violating human rights to a greater extent, it is targeted significantly less than Israel. The thesis concludes that Israel constitutes a “blind spot” of liberal IR theory as it fails to provide a satisfactory explanation for why the UNHRC is targeting the state to a far greater extent than others.