1 The U.N. expert investigating Israeli human rights violations Friday defended his controversial decision to quit, saying progress in the peace process rather condemnation of Israel was the best way to promote Palestinian rights.
2 Rene Felber, a former Swiss foreign minister, caused an outcry at the U.N. Human Rights Commission earlier this week by recommending and end to his two-year mission because it was useless to issue reports that weren't acted on.
3 In addition to focussing attention on the effectiveness of the commission -- which issues dozens of such reports each year -- Felber's action also raised wider questions about whether publicizing abuses is the best way to pressure governments into mending their ways.
4 'Maybe I said out loud what other people merely think,' Felber told a news conference. 'I don't regret it.'
5 'You have to give priority to a political solution. There's no point issuing denunciations if there are no results from these denunciations.'
6 'Is it better to condemn or is it better to support a peace process which leads to a concrete solution?' he said. 'For me, I support the concrete solution.'
7 Felber said implementation of the 1993 accords, which call for Israel to withdraw its troops from the West Bank to make way for Palestinian elections, must be speeded up. Foreign governments must fulfill their promises of aid to the Gaza Strip, he said.
8 He warned otherwise there would be an 'explosion' in frustration and hatred, fomented by both Muslim and Jewish extremists who are opposed to compromise.
9 'I would like to underline that I was profoundly shocked by the oppressive atmosphere that reigned in most of the occupied territories we visited,' he said.
10 He said in general terms that it was best to criticize human rights violations, but that the Mideast peace process offered an alternative way of promoting respect for basic freedoms.
11 'I am disappointed that there doesn't seem to be any effort to understand that the political route is possible,' he said of the U.N. commission.
12 Felber said the commission would have to decide if it wanted to appoint another special investigator to succeed him. He added a separate General Assembly committee which scrutinizes Israeli abuses should continue its work.
13 Israel traditionally comes under strong fire from the U.N.'s human rights watchdog because of the Arab and Third World majority on the 53-nation body. Felber's investigation was under a procedure reserved for the worst violators, including Iraq, Iran, Burma and Sudan.
14 The commission's outgoing chairman, Peter Van Wulfften Palthe, said in a newspaper interview that Felber was irresponsible. Arab nations were outraged, leaving only Israel and its ally the United States, supporting him.
15 Private human rights groups, which devote their resources to publicizing and denouncing violations, were left in shock.
16 The International Commission of Jurists, a respected body of legal experts, accused Felber of betraying victims of human rights abuse. Amnesty International said scrutiny of Israel must continue to combat widespread torture and abuse.
17 'My aim was not to drop the victims but to find a solution which improves the situation and improves their rights,' Felber said.

" Maybe I said out loud what other people merely think , " Felber told a news conference . " I don ' t regret it . "
other people merely think , "
What might other people be merely thinking other than what was already stated?