JERUSALEM, Israel – Democrat and Republican lawmakers are urging the US State Department to lead an international effort against the United Nations’ decision to establish a permanent Commission of Inquiry into Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) voted to create the investigation in May 2021, after Israel’s 11-day war with the Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations General Assembly approved the probe in December.
The Biden administration condemned the move, saying it “perpetuates a practice of unfairly singling out Israel in the UN and, like prior US administrations, we strongly oppose such treatment of Israel,” the US representative said.
Now, 68 US Senators have signed a letter asking Secretary of State Antony Blinken to lead a multinational effort to end to the investigation.
Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Rob Portman (R-OH) spearheaded the bipartisan initiative.
The letter says, “This one-sided approach is consistent with UNHRC’s continuing bias against Israel and the disproportionate use of resources in an ongoing campaign to disparage, discredit and denounce Israel.” The Senators call upon the U.S to work “to redirect the wasteful use of funds and personnel on excessive devotion to disparaging Israel to allow the UN Human Rights Council to fairly promote human rights around the world.”
The letter further points out, “The COI is the latest endeavor by UNHRC to discredit the only Jewish state and is likely to further fuel antisemitism worldwide. Therefore, we urge you to act upon the Administration’s commitment to defend Israel from discriminatory treatment at the Human Rights Council and throughout the UN system.”
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) applauded the lawmakers for their letter.
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN
