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US condemns continuing UN Human Rights Council bias against Israel

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The United States yesterday accused the United Nations’ Human Rights Council (UNHRC) of “bias against Israel,” following its’ decision last week to effectively construct a blacklist of companies which operate in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights.

The volume of UNHCR debates and resolutions aimed at Israel is hugely disproportionate in comparison to any other state. Israel is the only country to which the council has assigned a permanent investigator and the UNHRC’s charter includes a clause which stipulates that a separate discussion on Israel’s human rights record take place at its annual meetings.

This clause was invoked last week with several motions approved condemning Israel. One such motion called on companies to desist from business in Israeli settlements. The motion, which passed unanimously, asked UN officials to construct a list of “all business enterprises” which enable of profit from activity in settlements.

Speaking yesterday, US State Department spokesman John Kirby said that Washington “unequivocally opposes” the move, which he called “an unprecedented step by the council” that is “far outside their scope of authority.” He added that the United States “unequivocally opposes” the clause which mandates debate over Israel at each UNHRC session. He accused the UNHRC of “bias against Israel,” and singling out the country in “an unbalanced manner.”

Another motion passed last week declared that the UNHRC is “Deeply concerned at the suffering of” Syrian Druze in the Golan Heights, which has been under Israeli control since 1967, “due to the systematic and continuous violation of their fundamental and human rights by Israel.” The resolution was passed as the Syrian Civil War, which has killed hundreds of thousands, entered its sixth year.

Last year, US Secretary of State John Kerry said “the UNHRC’s obsession with Israel actually risks undermining the credibility of the entire organization.” During a visit to Israel in 2013, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon acknowledged that Israel “suffered from bias — and sometimes even discrimination” at the UN.