Israel Follows US in Quitting UN Human Rights Council

Synopsis

Following the US decision to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced that Israel will also abstain from participating in the council. Sa'ar criticized the UNHRC for bias against Israel, emphasizing the disproportionate number of resolutions aimed at the country compared to others.

Key Takeaways

Israel supports the US withdrawal from the UNHRC.
The UNHRC has been criticized for bias against Israel.
Israel's Foreign Minister calls out the disproportionate resolutions against Israel.
Trump labels the UNHRC anti-semitic.
Netanyahu discusses Middle East plans during US visit.

Jerusalem, Feb 6 (NationPress) Following the announcement by US President Donald Trump regarding America's exit from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister, Gideon Sa'ar, stated that Israel would likewise refrain from participating in the UNHRC.

On Wednesday, Sa'ar expressed his approval of Trump's decision, deeming it a positive move.

In a post on X on Wednesday, the Israeli Foreign Minister remarked, "Israel endorses President Trump's decision to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Israel aligns with the United States and will not engage in the UNHRC."

He criticized the UNHRC for having "historically shielded human rights violators by permitting them to evade accountability, while fixating on disparaging the sole democracy in the Middle East - Israel. This organization has prioritized the vilification of a democratic nation and the propagation of anti-semitism over the advancement of human rights."

"The bias against us is evident: Within the UNHRC, Israel stands as the only nation with a dedicated agenda item. Israel has faced over 100 condemnatory resolutions, accounting for more than 20 percent of all resolutions passed by the Council - surpassing those against Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela combined. Israel will no longer tolerate this unfair treatment!" he asserted.

This declaration from the Israeli Foreign Minister coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the US.

President Trump proclaimed America's exit from the "anti-semitic" UN Human Rights Council and the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which faced significant criticism over alleged ties with Hamas.

Trump made this announcement during a joint press briefing with Israeli PM Netanyahu in Washington, DC on Tuesday (local time).

"I am also pleased to declare that this afternoon the United States withdrew from the anti-semitic UN Human Rights Council and ceased all support for the UN Relief and Works Agency, which funneled funds to Hamas and displayed great disloyalty to humanity. Today, I also implemented actions to restore our maximum pressure policy on the Iranian regime. We will once more apply the most stringent sanctions, reduce Iranian oil exports to zero, and diminish the regime's ability to finance terrorism throughout the region and globally," the US President added.

Israeli PM Netanyahu arrived in the US on Sunday to discuss the Gaza ceasefire agreement and broader Middle Eastern strategies with Trump, as reported by the media.

During the Israeli Prime Minister's visit, Trump emphasized during the joint conference, "The ties of friendship and affection between the American and Israeli peoples have endured for generations and are absolutely unbreakable."