Israel to cease participation in UN human rights council

Israel remains the only nation regarding which the body has a dedicated agenda item, which Sa’ar said was clear evidence of institutional bias.

By Ariel Kahana, JNS

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on Wednesday that Israel will follow the example set by U.S. President Donald Trump and cease its engagement with the United Nations Human Rights Council.

While neither are members of the council, both have informal observer status.

In a pointed critique, Sa’ar characterized the council as a platform that systematically undermines Israel’s diplomatic standing while failing to address genuine human rights concerns globally.

The Israeli foreign minister went on to state that the council serves as a mechanism for protecting human rights violators, enabling them to evade international scrutiny.

He specifically condemned the UNHRC for “obsessively demonizing the one democracy in the Middle East—Israel,” rather than genuinely addressing global human rights challenges.

Sa’ar noted that the council has passed more than 100 resolutions against the Jewish state—more than 20% of all council resolutions, surpassing the combined total of resolutions against Iran, Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela.

Moreover, Israel remains the only nation regarding which the body has a dedicated agenda item, which Sa’ar said was clear evidence of institutional bias.

Sa’ar’s announcement reflects a broader strategy of challenging what Israel perceives as systemic discrimination within multilateral institutions.