West Jerusalem’s claim it has quit the UN Human Rights Council is incorrect, as it is not a member, a UNHRC spokesman has clarified
Israel is not currently a member of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), meaning it cannot officially withdraw from a body it is not part of, UNHRC spokesman Pascal Sim has stated.
On Wednesday, a day after US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s withdrawal from the UNHRC, West Jerusalem declared that it was also quitting the council, which is responsible for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide.
“Israel has an observer status in the UN Human Rights Council, as does any of the 193 UN member states that are not among the 47 members of the Council. An observer state in the Council cannot withdraw from a body it is not a member of,” Sim told TASS on Thursday.
The spokesman noted that Israel “regularly interacted with UNHRC for many years, participating and addressing several meetings” of the body. He emphasized that the UN Human Rights Council “welcomes and encourages the participation of every UN member state – whether a member of the Council or an observer – in the work of the Council and its mechanisms.”
In his statement on Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticized the UNHRC, claiming that it “has traditionally protected human rights abusers by allowing them to hide from scrutiny, and instead obsessively demonizes the one democracy in the Middle East – Israel.”
He further accused the body of “propagating antisemitism” and discriminating against Israel. “Israel has been subjected to over 100 condemnatory resolutions, over 20% of all resolutions ever passed in the Council – more than against Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela combined,” Saar said.
Israel’s has a tense relationship with the United Nations, especially regarding the Gaza conflict. The UN has frequently criticized Israel’s military actions in the Palestinian enclave, alleging violations of international law.
In November 2024, a UN Special Committee reported that Israel’s warfare methods in Gaza exhibited characteristics of genocide, including the use of starvation as a weapon of war. Additionally, in October 2024, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry accused Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during 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, prompting 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 worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as UNRWA provides essential services to millions of Palestinian refugees.
