United States will walk out of Human Rights Council, warns Nikki Haley

Geneva: United States Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Nikki Haley reprimanded the Human Rights Council (HRC) in strong words saying that, ‘The treatment meted out to Israel by the UNHRC is worse than that meted out to North Korea, Iran and Syria. This shows the foolishness of the institution and reveals that the institution is unworthy of its name. The countries demanding changes in the UN should remember this. Many countries agree that the Council’s agenda is biased and anti-Israel, but do not have the guts to raise their voice against this.’

Five resolutions against Israel were passed in the HRC meeting on Friday. The resolutions were about banning arms sale to Israel, its withdrawal from the ‘Golan Heights’ region and giving an independent right to the Palestinian population to make decisions. Resolutions targeting Israel about the Israeli colonies and the state of human rights in Palestine, including East Jerusalem were also passed on Friday. One of these resolutions had four member countries whereas another had seven member countries casting their votes in favour of Israel.

However, the United States adopted an aggressive stance against the five resolutions being passed in one single day against Israel. Haley castigated the Council by saying, ‘The HRC is failing in its duties when it brings one resolution each against countries like North Korea, Iran and Syria which are violating human rights and brings five resolutions against Israel’. She clarified that the United States was seriously considering an exit from the UNHRC.

‘The United States is seriously rethinking on the issue of their membership in the UNHRC. We don’t have unlimited patience. The Friday incident clearly indicates that the Council has lost its credibility and it is not capable of upholding human rights,’ rebuked Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Last year a resolution was passed against the United States when it announced Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. The United States had taken an aggressive stand and severely shocked the UN by slashing the financial aid to it by $285 million in retaliation. At the same time, the United States had suggested adding pressure for a funding cut and improvements in the UN.