“Once again, the Human Rights Council has served as a forum for repressive regimes to condemn the democratic, Jewish State of Israel.  Israel’s crime?  Defending itself against the barrage of rockets and mortars launched against its people by Hamas and other violent extremists.

“The fix was in from the onset. The U.S. should therefore not have provided any legitimacy to the report by participating in this anti-Israel confab in Geneva.

“The U.S. must stand up to this anti-freedom onslaught and refuse to be a party to the further pillaging of the rights of democracies to defend themselves.  The U.S. must provide stronger leadership in preventing even the consideration – much less the embrace – of such vitriol. 

“I am gratified that five countries joined the United States to vote ‘no’ on this hateful measure, and that eleven others abstained. 

“However, casting idle votes just doesn’t cut it. For the sake of Israel, the U.S., and the freedom agenda, we need far-reaching UN reform now.”

Note:  This morning, the United Nations Human Rights Council overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning Israel and fully endorsing the “Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict,” or Goldstone Report, by a vote of 25-6.  Joining the United States in voting ‘no’ were the Netherlands, Italy, Hungary, Ukraine, and Slovakia. 

Ros-Lehtinen is the author of The United Nations Transparency, Accountability and Reform Act (H.R. 557), which includes provisions restricting U.S. participation on the Human Rights Council and addressing the anti-Israel, anti-Semitic bias throughout the UN. The bill enjoys the support of over 100 cosponsors.

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