The United Nations has historically singled out Israel for criticism far more than it has any other country. Their recent criticism was reported in the Minnesota Daily on March 7 in the article “UNICEF urges Israel to reform detention of minors.” This illustrates UNICEF’s lack of evenhandedness when itcomes to Israel. According to the article, UNICEF claims that Israel acts too harshly toward delinquents and urges the military not to “blindfold, or hold them in solitary confinement and to allow a lawyer or family member to be present during negotiations.” I acknowledge that putting a minor in a foreboding prison cell is certainly distressing and that in a democratic country certain humanitarian rights should be upheld; however, I believe that UNICEF completely ignored the reason why these minors were being detained: They were alleged to have committed violent acts of terror. UNICEF should condemn the minors who — by stone throwing, stabbing and shooting — destroyed their own lives.

UNICEF, for example, describes the treatment of a 17-year-old Palestinian and relates that he was blindfolded and handcuffed in transit to prison. In March 2011, this 17-year-old “youth” was convicted of stabbing an entire Israeli family while they slept. This youth brutally butchered Ruth Fogel, Udi Fogel and three of their five young children — one of whom was a baby — in the middle of the night. Let the U.N. and UNICEF condemn these acts of terror and urge the specific Palestinians who authorize such behavior to reform their education system of inculcating youth to kill in the dark of night.

Israel is, arguably, the only democracy in the Middle East. Many countries in that region imprison men, women and children for far less serious “crimes,” such as being gay. Yes, Israel can improve; every country can improve. However, the disproportionate attention that the U.N. and UNICEF direct toward Israel demonstrates that organization’s bias.