The Simon Wiesenthal Center is calling for the United States to leave the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) after Its top official refused to denounce anti-Semites in the UNHRC’s Commission of Inquiry but found time to repeat one sided denunciations of the Jewish state.
Michelle Bachelet, just prior to her final day as the High Commissioner of the Human Rights Council, found time to denounce Israel again while refusing to address the international outcry over anti-Semitic comments made by the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel.
Ambassador Michèle Taylor, the United States’ permanent representative to the UNHRC, denounced Bachelet’s last-minute anti-Israel antics:
“Disappointed by Michelle Bachelet’s statement yesterday singling out Israel, while staying silent following unacceptable anti-Semitic remarks by a member of the Commission of Inquiry on Israel,” Taylor tweeted. “This only perpetuates the anti-Israel bias within the HRC.”
“Ambassador Taylor is right. Bachelet has lost her moral compass,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
“Denunciations of Israel to the end, free pass to antisemites in her midst. Indeed, she held a UN Special Report exposing China’s horrific treatment of the Ughurs, releasing it just minutes she vacated her office.
“Why do we continuing paying for the UNHRC that continues to pummel the lone democracy in the Middle East, while allowing so many of the world’s worst human rights abusers to escape serious scrutiny or action?
“Unless and until the UNHRC is reorganized in such a way that it will deal with all human rights related issues equally and fairly, why do we legitimize the ongoing charade that mocks the core founding principles of the United Nation?”
In late July, the Simon Wiesenthal Center penned a letter to Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States’ ambassador to the United Nations, to urge US action against a UN Commission of Inquiry.
The letter, which was sent directly to the ambassador, addresses antisemitic comments made by Miloon Kothari, who is on the ‘UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory’, including eastern Jerusalem and in Israel.
Kothari recently said in an interview that social media is controlled by Jews.
“We are very disheartened by the social media that is controlled largely by [Jews] whether it is the Jewish lobby or specific NGOs,” Kothari said.
Kothari also questioned why Israel is a member of the United Nations. “They [Israel], in fact, consistently, either directly or through the United States, try to undermine UN mechanisms,” Kothari charged.
In fact, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield went on to lead international criticism against the Commission of Inquiry officials, but in the end, it fell on deaf ears.
“As of now, it is clear that there is no price to pay, no accountability for anti-Jewish bigots masquerading as diplomats at the UN,” Cooper said.
