UK to vote against Human Rights Council items condemning Israel aggression

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has revealed in an article published by the Jewish Chronicle that the UK government will vote against all Agenda Item 7 resolutions at the United Nations Human Rights Council, in response to complaints by Israel and pro-Israel advocacy groups.

Agenda Item 7, a long-standing source of frustration for the Israeli government, is focused on the rights of Palestinians under occupation, and the violation of these rights by Israel.

Writing in the paper, Hunt claimed that by singling out Palestinians for protection, Item 7 resolutions “undermine the credibility of the world’s leading human rights forum”.

Britain will, the foreign secretary said, vote against all such resolutions in Geneva tomorrow.

READ: UK vows to vote against Palestine at UN Human Rights Council

“Two years ago, the United Kingdom said that unless the situation changed, we would vote against all texts proposed under Item 7,” Hunt wrote.

“Sadly, our concerns have not been heeded. So I have decided that we will do exactly what we said: Britain will now oppose every Item 7 resolution. On Friday we will vote against all four texts proposed in this way.”

Hunt claimed that the decision to reject these resolutions did not mean that the government would “hold back from voicing concerns about Israel’s actions”, citing illegal settlements, home demolitions, and the use of lethal violence against Palestinian protesters.

He added: “We will continue to press for the abolition of Item 7, which only undermines the credibility of the world’s leading human rights forum.”