Members of the Egyptian Red Crescent speak to the media after visiting the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip as they coordinate aid to Gaza at Al Arish Airport, Egypt, March 23, 2024. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghani)
More than 100 US members of Congress have warned the UN Under-Secretary-General. Antonio Guterres said Washington would cut funding to the United Nations if the international body decided to downgrade the status of the state of Israel.
The bipartisan initiative, led by Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), is an agreement between Congress and the United Nations that “aims to delegitimize Israel’s right to self-defense.” He emphasized that he opposed the action.
“We conclude that the United Nations is not a neutral party, but a party decisively on Israel’s side. We would like to remind you that the United States is the largest donor to the United Nations,” the lawyers wrote in a joint letter to Mr. Guterres. said.
“Our contributions make up one-third of the UN’s overall budget. We will not tolerate the UN’s continued hostility towards our ally Israel,” he added.
US lawmakers have warned that a decline in Israel’s standing in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) could lead to a reduction in the US government’s political, material and financial support for the UN.
Furthermore, the members of Congress called for the complete withdrawal of the IDF from Judea and Samaria (West Bank) without mentioning Israel’s legitimate human rights violations, and the International Court of Justice sought to undermine the Jewish state’s right to self-defense. expressed opposition to the efforts of (ICEJ). Security challenges.
US lawmakers have accused the UN of longstanding bias against Israel.
“This fits into a long-standing pattern of persistent bias against Israel within the United Nations that permeates the entire system, despite the aftermath of the October 7 massacre,” the letter to Guterres said. said. “In addition, bipartisan legislation would prohibit U.S. funding to the United Nations if Israel’s status in the United Nations General Assembly would be downgraded or its participation would be limited, such as by not being able to participate fully and equally with other member states. It should be further recognized that the
The letter was reportedly supported by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an organization called Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Action. Middle East Fund for Truth (EMET); Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA). Zionist Organization of America (ZOA). Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC). the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA); and the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM).
It is noteworthy that the United Nations has passed more UN resolutions against the State of Israel than against other member states, including Iran, China, Russia, North Korea, and Syria, which are considered human rights violators.
In early October, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared Guterres a “persona non grata” in Israel after the UN Secretary-General failed to condemn Iran’s October 1 missile attack on Israel. did.
“Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel, as almost every country in the world has done, has no right to set foot on Israeli soil,” Katz wrote in a post on 𝕏. said. “With or without Antonio Guterres, Israel will continue to protect its people and defend its national dignity.”
The UN refugee agency UNRWA, which operates in Gaza and other parts of the Middle East, has close ties to Hamas, and some of its staff are involved in the terrorist organization’s activities in Gaza.
In January, the United States and several donor countries suspended funding to UNRWA after Israel presented evidence that several UNRWA personnel took part in the October 7 invasion and terrorist attacks. Aid to UNRWA was eventually restored after an independent commission whitewashed the scandal.
