The United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) anti-Israel “Commission of Inquiry” (COI) is but the latest in a long line of attempts by the council to demonize and delegitimize the democratic State of Israel, America’s closest ally in the Middle East. Congressional legislation called the COI Elimination Act would withhold U.S. funding from the UNHRC until this anti-Israel commission is disbanded. As the U.N.’s leading dues-paying member, the United States will be on the hook for approximately $1 million annually—in perpetuity—to pay for this COI alone. 

 

The commission recently released its first report and has promised in future reports to assist attempts to hamper vital Israeli self-defense by threatening action against Israelis (potentially including service members and elected officials) within international courts, and to slander Israel with the offensive—and utterly groundless—label of “apartheid.”

 

The COI was created as a result of a UNHRC resolution that outrageously blamed Israel for initiating fighting with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in May 2021 while not even mentioning Hamas by name. Refraining from explicitly condemning Hamas while at the same time incessantly condemning Israel is, of course, standard practice at the UNHRC and other biased U.N. bodies in resolutions on the conflict. The UNHRC then named “commissioners” to this COI with long anti-Israel records, which, sadly, is also common at the U.N.  

 

This commission, however, differs from others by the very fact that its mandate is open-ended, unlike any commission that has come before it. To fund this permanent commission, the U.N. proposed a massive budget for the COI, one of the largest within the U.N.’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which staffs the commission.

 

The United States must stand with our ally, Israel, against this illegitimate, permanent attack mechanism and make clear to the U.N. that American taxpayers will not bankroll such a commission so plainly at odds with our values. The U.S., under both Democratic and Republican administrations, has in the past withheld dues from the U.N. to protest actions counter to American interests.

 

We call on all members of Congress to join in supporting the bipartisan COI Elimination Act to urge the Biden Administration to withhold from its U.N. dues an amount equal to the U.S. share of the bloated budget for the new anti-Israel COI. To do so will send a message to fellow U.N. member states that the U.S. will not participate in or pay the bill for unfair attacks on a fellow democracy combating relentless terrorism against civilians.

 

 

Stand with B'nai B'rith against this biased COI!

Congress has passed an emergency spending package to address the quickly deteriorating humanitarian and security crisis in Ukraine. Much more needs to be done, though. Additional U.S. aid is needed to help ease the suffering of the Ukrainian people as they continue to withstand a brutal Russian assault.

 

Ukrainian families who have been forced to flee their homes as conditions worsen desperately require food, shelter, medical supplies, and transportation to safe areas. The country also needs further military assistance to defend its territorial integrity and the safety of its people.

 

In addition, the U.S. and its allies must address the massive exodus of refugees from Ukraine. The U.S. should continue to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Ukrainians living in the U.S until their safety in Ukraine can be assured. The U.S. should also absorb new refugees from Ukraine, perhaps raising the refugee cap for this year so as not to negate opportunities for other deserving refugee populations to come to the United States.

 

We also need to take further steps toward energy independence, so that we do not rely for fuel on regimes whose interests are adverse to our own. We must ban Russian oil and gas and encourage our European allies to do the same, while we actively pursue additional domestic energy sources.

 

Contact your Senators and Representative and tell them to promptly address the grave crisis in Ukraine. U.S. support is still urgently needed.

Congress is considering an emergency spending package to address the quickly deteriorating humanitarian and security crisis in Ukraine. U.S. aid would help ease the suffering of the Ukrainian people as they withstand a brutal Russian assault.

 

Ukrainian families who have been forced to flee their homes as conditions worsen desperately require food, shelter, medical supplies, and transportation to safe areas. The country also needs military assistance to defend its territorial integrity and the safety of its people.

 

Contact your Senators and Representative and tell them to promptly address the grave crisis in Ukraine. U.S. support is urgently needed.

Since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, its ostracization by neighboring countries has been a barrier towards lasting peace and progress in the region. As more states establish peace and normalization agreements with Israel, the world can begin to see a future of prosperity and cooperation across borders in the Middle East and move beyond a past marred with conflict.

The Israel Relations Normalization Act aims to reinforce and expand these recent peace and normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. The bipartisan bill recognizes the potential to transform the region through regional trade and collaborative innovation. Join us and urge Congress to drive stability in the region by supporting this important legislation!

Luis Almagro, Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), announced that he is issuing an executive order to create the position of OAS Commissioner for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism. This position will be integral in promoting adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism by countries in the region, and in preparing them in the fight against the rising surge we’re witnessing around the globe. Join B’nai B’rith International as we thank Secretary General Almagro for his courageous and historic action to monitor and combat anti-Semitism in the Americas.

Israel has been under attack. Since May 10th, Hamas—an Iranian-backed terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel—embarked on a campaign of terror, firing thousands of rockets from the Gaza Strip toward Israel. Israeli children have been killed in their homes. Mobs have firebombed synagogues and shops and have attempted to lynch Jews in broad daylight.
 
In the wake of a cease-fire agreement, the response from the United States must be to unequivocally condemn Hamas’ aggression and penalize the terrorist organization for its attacks on Israeli civilians. Urge your elected officials to support the bipartisan Palestinian International Terrorism Prevention Act and cut the flow of resources to anti-Israel terrorist groups.