Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office issues a statement on Tuesday night following the United States’ announcement that it is withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council.
“Israel thanks President Trump, Secretary Pompeo and Ambassador Haley for their courageous decision against the hypocrisy and the lies of the so-called UN Human Rights Council,” said the statement.
“For years, the UNHRC has proven to be a biased, hostile, anti-Israel organization that has betrayed its mission of protecting human rights.”
“Instead of dealing with regimes that systematically violate human rights, the UNHRC obsessively focuses on Israel, the one genuine democracy in the Middle East.”
“The U.S. decision to leave this prejudiced body is an unequivocal statement that enough is enough. Israel welcomes the American announcement,” said the statement.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon also welcomed the announcement by the United States that they will withdraw from the Human Rights Council.
“The Human Rights Council has long been the foe of those who truly care about human rights around the world. The United States has proven, yet again, its commitment to truth and justice and their unwillingness to allow the blind hatred of Israel in international institutions to stand unchallenged. We thank President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador Nikki Haley for their leadership and call on the moral majority at the UN to hold all of its institutions accountable,” he said.
Ambassador Nikki Haley, in a joint press conference with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, formally announced earlier on Tuesday that the United States is withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Haley called the 47-member council “a protector of human rights abusers, and a cesspool of political bias”, while pointing out that this year “the UNHRC passed five resolutions against Israel, more than against any other country.”
“If the Human Rights Council is going to attack countries that uphold human rights and attack those that abuse human rights, then the U.S. should not provide it with credibility,” Haley continued.
“We are withdrawing from the UNHRC, an organization that is not worthy of its name,” said Haley.
The Trump administration has previously threatened to withdraw from the Human Rights Council over its anti-Israel bias.
In March, Haley issued a statement after the UNHRC adopted five resolutions condemning Israel while adopting only one resolution each against North Korea, Iran, and Syria. This has become an annual ritual, as every March, the Council sets aside only two sessions to debate human rights violations and abuses in all countries and another entire session just to debate a single country, Israel.
“When the Human Rights Council treats Israel worse than North Korea, Iran, and Syria, it is the Council itself that is foolish and unworthy of its name,” said the American Ambassador.
Haley also condemned the council after it voted to establish a commission of inquiry to examine possible war crimes committed by Israel during the recent confrontations on the Gaza border last month.