B’nai B’rith International commends the United States for voting against the six resolutions targeting Israel passed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on March 24 and 25. The one-sided resolutions included follow-up resolutions on the biased Turkish flotilla and Goldstone reports; the “Syrian” Golan Heights; supposed Israeli human rights violations, and Palestinian self-determination. The United States was the only member to vote against all six anti-Israeli resolutions.

The repeated efforts by the Human Rights Council to single out Israel for censure are appalling. The resolutions on Palestinian self-determination and Israeli settlements passed with the United States as the lone dissenting vote while the rest of the council voted in favor. The Goldstone follow-up resolution was the only one of the six resolutions in which any other country joined the United States in opposition. B’nai B’rith is deeply disappointed at the passage of a resolution on the review of the council that did not remove Item 7, the permanent anti-Israel agenda item. B’nai B’rith will continue to advocate against Item 7 as the review moves to the General Assembly for consideration.

“The friendship of the U.S. in the Human Rights Council vital in our mission to defeat these heavily biased resolutions.” B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin said. “The council needs to discontinue its preoccupation with vilifying Israel, and finally honor its promise of ‘strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe.’”