Israel joins US in boycotting UN Human Rights Council amid claims of bias
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Following the United States' decision to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Israel has announced that it will also cease its participation, citing systemic bias and unfair treatment.
A day after US President Donald Trump declared America's departure from the UNHRC, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed that his country would follow suit. Expressing full support for Trump’s decision, Sa’ar stated that Israel would no longer participate in a body that, in his view, protects human rights violators while unfairly targeting Israel.
In a post on X, the Israeli Foreign Minister accused the UNHRC of disproportionately condemning Israel. “This council has focused on demonising the only democracy in the Middle East instead of promoting human rights,” he wrote.
He further highlighted that Israel has been the subject of over 100 condemnatory resolutions, making up more than 20% of all resolutions passed by the Council - more than those against Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela combined. “Israel will no longer tolerate this discrimination,” he asserted.
Announcing the US departure from the UNHRC, Trump labeled the organisation "anti-Semitic" and accused it of bias against Israel. He also announced that the US would halt funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), citing its alleged links to Hamas.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Washington, DC, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump justified his decision by stating, “We withdrew from the anti-Semitic UN Human Rights Council and ended all support for UNRWA, which funneled money to Hamas. This organisation has not upheld human rights but has instead betrayed them.”
Trump also reaffirmed his administration’s tough stance on Iran, pledging to reinstate the "maximum pressure" campaign, enforce stringent sanctions, and reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero to cut off funding for terrorism.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the United States on Sunday to discuss the ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations and broader Middle East strategies with US officials. His visit included meetings with American military leaders and members of Congress.
During his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu emphasised the strong alliance between Israel and the US. “The bonds of friendship and affection between the American and Israeli people have endured for generations, and they are absolutely unbreakable,” Trump declared.