Israel follows the US in withdrawing from the UNHRC, citing persistent antisemitism and bias.
Israel has announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) following a decision by the US to no longer participate in the body citing “blatant antisemitism.”
“I informed the UNHRC that Israel will no longer participate in it,” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on X on Thursday.
I informed the UNHRC that Israel will no longer participate in it. The “human rights” council has consistently enabled countries that abuse human rights to evade scrutiny, while obsessively pursuing Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Joining @POTUS President Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/wMYHte2dv0
— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) February 6, 2025
“The ‘human rights’ council has consistently enabled countries that abuse human rights to evade scrutiny, while obsessively pursuing Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East,” he added.
Sa’ar continued: “Joining @POTUS President Trump’s just decision, Israel will no longer tolerate the Council’s blatant antisemitism. Enough is enough!”
Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to withdraw the US from the Council.
Claims of ‘Demonizing’ Israel
In a letter addressed to HE Jürg Lauber, the President of the Human Rights Council, Sa’ar said he wished to “formally inform” Lauber that “Israel joins the United States and will not participate in the UNHRC.”
He said the decision was reached “in light of the ongoing and unrelenting institutional bias against Israel in the Human Rights Council, which has been persistent since its inception in 2006.”
🚨President Trump just signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the UN Human Rights Council and halting all additional funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and UNESCO! WINNING 🏆 pic.twitter.com/lAw6qApeKD
— DownloadCode💎 (@Official_DC) February 4, 2025
Sa’ar claimed the UNHCR “obsessively demonizes the one democracy in the Middle East – Israel.”
He also said the Council has “established an everlasting Commission of Inquiry against Israel, of unprecedented scope.”
Israel’s ‘Right to Exist’
“These said mechanisms have been so emboldened, that they have taken to advancing antisemitic rhetoric, and altogether denying the right of Israel to exist.”
The foreign minister also claimed that since October 7, the Council has “employed every platform to spread misinformation and blood libels against Israel,” and “has become an agency of perpetuating the Israel-Palestinian conflict.”
Trump’s executive order signed on Tuesday also prohibits the US from providing any additional funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
‘Grave Concern’ – UK, France and Germany Warn Israel over UNRWA Ban
Former US President Joe Biden stopped funding the agency in January 2024 after Israel accused twelve of its employees of taking part in the October 7, 2023, Resistance operation led by Hamas.
A UN investigation closed five cases of allegations amid a notable lack of evidence given by Israel in support of its claims.
The halt to funding had been scheduled to remain in effect until March 2025.
Before the withdrawal of Israel and the US, the Geneva-based Human Rights Council consisted of 47 member states, with seats distributed among five regional groups.
(PC, Anadolu)
