Israel withdraws from UN Human Rights Council, following US lead

Israel yesterday announced that it is withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) following a decision by the US to no longer participate in the body, Anadolu reported.

“Israel welcomes President [Donald] Trump’s decision not to participate in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC),” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on X.

“Israel joins the United States and will not participate in the UNHRC,” he added.

Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to withdraw the US from the council.

Israel welcomes President Trump’s decision not to participate in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Israel joins the United States and will not participate in the UNHRC.

The UNHRC has traditionally protected human rights abusers by allowing them to hide from scrutiny, and…

— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) February 5, 2025

The order also prohibits the US from providing any additional funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Former US President Joe Biden stopped funding UNRWA in January 2024 after Israel accused 12 of its employees of taking part in the 7 October 2023 infiltration into Israel by Palestinian resistance factions. 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.

Politico has recently published White House documents claiming the UNHRC has shown a persistent bias against Israel, noting that in 2018, when Trump withdrew from the council, the organisation issued more resolutions condemning Israel than it had condemned Syria, Iran and North Korea combined.

Israel has lobbied hard to have UNRWA closed as it is the only UN agency to have a specific mandate to look after the basic needs of Palestinian refugees. If the agency no longer exists, argues Israel, then the refugee issue must no longer exist, and the legitimate right for Palestinian refugees to return to their land will be unnecessary. Israel has denied that right of return since the late 1940s, even though its own membership of the UN was made conditional upon Palestinian refugees being allowed to return to their homes and land.

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