The seismic waves of popular unrest sweeping the Arab world has indeed made an impact on the once-venerable United Nations – just not the one desired. After all, for decades many of the now troubled dictatorial countries have sent representatives to 1 U.N. Plaza in New York City, using their numerical superiority to diplomatically mug democracies, particularly the United States and Israel. But alas, ringing truth to the adage that no good deed goes unpunished, Libya – whose unstable leader is for the moment ostracized for wanton murder of rebelling citizens – cannot retain its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council. Yet Syria is moving to take its spot in the 47-nation group in the upcoming May 20 elections, according to the JTA Wire Service.

Let us forget for a moment that the Libya of barbarous leader Moammar el Qaddafi can currently vote on a body designed to promote human decency.
Instead, let us focus on the would-be successor. Syria has spent many decades denying basic rights of freedom of speech, public gathering and unfettered media to its citizens. Syria has flagrantly flouted the U.N.’s own rules of transparency and inspection of nuclear sites. And Syria is a veteran supporter of radical Islamic groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, its Damascus International Airport a major transit point for Iranian arms heading toward Lebanon’s radical militias.

By the way, it’s no coincidence Syria’s “Arab street” has been silent in the region’s recent tumult. With a history of shutting out the media’s watchful eye, and with an intimidated society in which the security apparatus rules supreme, Syrian citizens remember well the attempted revolt of 1982 in the city of Hama. Back then the army surrounded the town and bombarded it, killing an estimated more than 10,000 people.

Can anyone still wonder why Washington, and certainly Jerusalem, has so much skepticism toward the United Nations?