A day after United States President Donald Trump announced America’s withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council, Israel has also decided to stop participating in the body. Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar confirmed the decision on Wednesday, aligning Israel with the United States in its stance against the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Gideon Sa’ar expressed strong support for Donald Trump’s decision, calling it a step in the right direction. In a statement posted on X, he declared Israel’s withdrawal, emphasizing that the United Nations Human Rights Council had long functioned as a platform to shield human rights abusers while unfairly targeting Israel. He accused the body of obsessively demonizing Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, rather than focusing on global human rights violations.
He further highlighted the United Nations Human Rights Council’s record of disproportionate scrutiny against Israel, noting that the country has been subjected to over 100 condemnatory resolutions—more than 20% of all resolutions passed by the council. He argued that Israel had been unfairly targeted more than countries like Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela combined. Gideon Sa’ar asserted that Israel would no longer accept such discrimination.
The announcement came amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States, where he held discussions with Donald Trump. During a joint press conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Donald Trump announced the United States’ withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, an organization that provides aid to Palestinian refugees. Donald Trump labeled the United Nations Human Rights Council as anti-Semitic and accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency of funneling money to Hamas. He also declared the reinstatement of his administration’s maximum pressure policy on Iran, vowing to impose the toughest possible sanctions to curb Iranian oil exports and limit the country’s ability to fund terrorist activities in the region.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who arrived in the United States on Sunday, is set to discuss the Gaza ceasefire agreement and broader Middle East strategies with Donald Trump. He is also scheduled to meet with United States military leaders and members of Congress over the coming days.
During the joint conference, Donald Trump reaffirmed the close relationship between the United States and Israel, stating that the bonds of friendship between the two nations were absolutely unbreakable. The decision by both countries to disengage from the United Nations Human Rights Council marks a significant shift in their diplomatic approach toward the international human rights body.
