New UN Report on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Slammed for ‘Unfairly Singling Out’ Jewish State for Blame

A report published earlier this week by a United Nations Commission of Inquiry blamed what it called Israel’s “persistent discrimination against Palestinians” for the continuation of the Middle East conflict.

“The findings and recommendations relevant to the underlying root causes were overwhelmingly directed towards Israel, which we have taken as an indicator of the asymmetrical nature of the conflict and the reality of one State occupying the other,” Navanethem Pillay, the Commission’s chair, stated.

The report was widely condemned, with the U.S. State Department pillorying it as a “continuation of a longstanding pattern of unfairly singling out Israel” by the U.N. Human Rights Council.

The U.S. State Department said, “We firmly oppose the open-ended and vaguely defined nature of the UN Human Rights Council’s (HRC) Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, which represents a one-sided, biased approach that does nothing to advance the prospects for peace.  The report of the Commission, released today, does nothing to alleviate our concerns.”

“Israel is the only country subject to a standing agenda item at the HRC and has received disproportionate focus at the HRC compared to human rights situations elsewhere in the world,” it added.

The U.S. seeks a negotiated two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. The @HRC’s open-ended, biased, and vaguely defined Commission of Inquiry on the situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza does not advance prospects for that peace. https://t.co/MK17rH3SX0

— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) June 7, 2022

Other U.S. officials and lawmakers who condemned the report included:

Ambassador Michele Sison, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs –

We firmly oppose the @UN_HRC’s open-ended and overly expansive Commission of Inquiry on the situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. While the HRC is crucial to promoting human rights & fundamental freedoms globally, this COI does not advance this goal. https://t.co/2Yk9fQEnAO

— Ambassador Michele Sison (@State_IO) June 7, 2022

Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) –

This report by the @UN_HRC ‘s Commission of Inquiry is simply yet another baseless attack by the UN against the legitimacy of our ally Israel.

— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) June 7, 2022

Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) –

The @UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry on #Israel released a biased report today. I do not support this Commission of Inquiry or its findings. The @UN needs to stop picking on Israel & focus on worse human rights abusers such as #Putin & #Xi.

— Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member (@SenateForeign) June 7, 2022

Representative Ted Deutch (D-Florida) – 

The first report from the UNHRC’s Commission of Inquiry confirmed that the process would be biased from the get-go.

I appreciate the Biden Administration’s continued efforts to strongly push back on those at the UN who continue to advance their scurrilous obsession with Israel. https://t.co/lxgP1BwBq1

— Rep. Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) June 8, 2022

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida) –

The clearly biased @UN_HRC’s Commission of Inquiry report continues a longstanding pattern of singling out and undermining Israel at the HRC. The existence of the prejudiced Inquiry Commission does nothing but undermine the prospects for peace. https://t.co/GFzH5XMbL4

— Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (@RepDWStweets) June 8, 2022

Representative Kathy Manning (D-North Carolina) –

The UN Commission of Inquiry issued the first report in its open-ended probe targeting and aimed at discrediting Israel. I remain committed to pushing back against this biased investigation and UNHRC’s clear pattern of singling out and undermining Israel. https://t.co/TJAZmjJYy4

— Congresswoman Kathy Manning (@RepKManning) June 7, 2022

Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-New York) –

The Commission of Inquiry’s report to @UN_HRC continues to demonstrate a clear and undeserved bias against Israel. This report will do nothing to advance prospects for a two-state solution. https://t.co/uN0SU5g2S1

— Carolyn B. Maloney (@RepMaloney) June 8, 2022

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said, “The UK has been clear that we oppose the open-ended nature of the Commission of Inquiry on the situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza and its vaguely defined mandate.”

Jewish and pro-Israel organizations weighing in from across the world included:

Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) –

The Commission of Inquiry’s report is egregious in its misrepresentations and attacks against Israel, even by the UN’s dismal standards. Attempts to delegitimize and discredit Israel do not promote peace, and the UN should pull the plug on this discriminatory commission. https://t.co/QvvywKKwiv

— The Jewish Federations of North America (@jfederations) June 8, 2022

American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) – 

The U.N. Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry (COI) report is nothing more than a baseless and biased attack against our democratic ally Israel.

The report rehashes more than 50 years of discriminatory and one-sided U.N. reports, commissions and resolutions…
(1/4)

— AIPAC (@AIPAC) June 7, 2022

B’nai B’rith International –

Led by the outrageously biased Navi Pillay, the latest @UN_HRC “Commission of Inquiry” has published its report against Israel.

As part of our 4-part series refuting this report, Alex Mazal shares the reality of surviving Hamas rocket attacks in Ashdod. https://t.co/9vpbjgCXwJ

— B’nai B’rith Int’l (@BnaiBrith) June 7, 2022

Anti-Defamation League (ADL) – 

This @UN_HRC Commission of Inquiry report is just the latest example of their strong anti-Israel bias. Much like prior HRC reports & resolutions, this focuses the blame on Israel while largely ignoring Palestinian actions & the complexity of the conflict. https://t.co/tr1rNdieqI

— ADL (@ADL) June 8, 2022

Board of Deputies of British Jews –

We welcome the @FCDOGovUK‘s opposition to the @UNHumanRights Commission of Inquiry that disproportionately focuses on Israel, ignoring acts of terrorism & antisemitism from other actors. It does nothing to further the actual work of promoting human rights. https://t.co/fZZmObwSfv

— Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) June 8, 2022

UK Conservative Friends of Israel –

The UK Government has expressed its opposition to a UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Commission of Inquiry (COI) following the publication of a report by the Commission blaming Israel for ongoing cycles of violence.

Read more👇https://t.co/qVFrhqsaNw pic.twitter.com/OP5TWJweHn

— CFoI (@CFoI) June 8, 2022