(Washington, D.C., April 1, 2022)–B’nai B’rith International President Seth J. Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

We condemn the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for passing four anti-Israel resolutions at the conclusion of its 49th session, far more than those targeting any other country and often employing far more belligerent claims. 
  
These resolutions have no basis in the reality on the ground in the Middle East. The violence and terrorism that Israelis have been experiencing get a passing reference at best while no mention at all is made of Hamas or any other Palestinian terror organization.  
  
One resolution carries over the libelous insinuation from last year that Israel is somehow denying Palestinians access to COVID-19 vaccines. Under agreements between the two parties, it is the Palestinian Authority (PA)’s responsibility to care for the health of the population under its jurisdiction. Israel, in fact, offered the PA a major shipment of vaccines last summer, only to be rejected by the PA. Thankfully, those vaccines did not go to waste, as other countries happily accepted them. 
  
In yet another absurd resolution on the Golan Heights, the council calls on Israel to return the strategically vital area to the murderous Syrian regime, which has allowed Iranian operatives and Hezbollah terrorists to set up camp on Israel’s border, while chastising Israel for building a wind farm there. Apparently, even the global climate crisis takes a backseat at the U.N. to cheap political shots at the Jewish state. 
  
The United States was the only country to vote against all four resolutions. We are especially disappointed with the European Union member states on the council, who all voted in favor of the resolution that included the vaccine libel, among other serious deficiencies. 
  
Also at the conclusion of this month’s session, the UNHRC appointed Francesca Albanese—who reportedly has made a comparison between the Holocaust and the so-called “Nakba,” a Palestinian term for Israel’s establishment—as the next special rapporteur focused on Palestinian rights alone. That such a rapporteur has proven herself to be wholly impartial is no accident; indeed, such wild prejudice is a consistent feature of this position, whose biased mandate only allows reporting on supposed Israeli, but not any Palestinian, wrongdoings. The outgoing rapporteur, Michael Lynk, released a report this session built around the mendacious lie tying Israel to “apartheid” policies.  
  
B’nai B’rith representatives delivered official statements over the course of the UNHRC session, underscoring the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, persistent anti-Semitism and the council’s unremitting bias against Israel.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org.