Jerusalem’s announcement of its withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council is inaccurate, as it isn’t a member, a UNHRC spokesperson has clarified.
A UNHRC spokesperson, Pascal Sim, stated that Israel is not a member of the UN Human Rights Council and therefore cannot formally withdraw.
Following the US withdrawal from the UNHRC on Wednesday, Jerusalem declared its own withdrawal from the council, responsible for global human rights promotion and protection.
“Israel holds observer status in the UN Human Rights Council, as do all 193 UN member states not among the Council’s 47 members. An observer state cannot withdraw from a body it doesn’t belong to,” Sim told TASS on Thursday.
Sim noted Israel’s “long-standing interaction with the UNHRC, participating in and addressing numerous meetings.” He stressed the UNHRC “welcomes and encourages participation from all UN member states – members and observers – in its work and mechanisms.”
In his Wednesday statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticized the UNHRC, asserting it “has historically shielded human rights abusers, allowing them to evade scrutiny while obsessively targeting the Middle East’s sole democracy – Israel.”
He further accused the body of “promoting antisemitism” and discrimination against Israel. “Israel has faced over 100 condemnatory resolutions, exceeding 20% of all resolutions passed by the Council – more than against Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela combined,” Saar stated.
Consequently, Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, will no longer attend council sessions.
Israel and the United Nations share a strained relationship, particularly concerning the Gaza conflict. The UN has repeatedly criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza, alleging breaches of international law.
In November 2024, a UN Special Committee reported that Israeli warfare tactics in Gaza displayed characteristics of genocide, including using starvation as a weapon. Additionally, in October 2024, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry accused Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity due to its attacks on Gaza’s healthcare facilities and its treatment of detainees and hostages.
These reports have further strained Israel’s relations with UN bodies, leading to actions such as Israel’s ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) within its territories. This ban has raised concerns about exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as UNRWA provides crucial services to millions of Palestinian refugees.