Statement on United Nations Investigation Targeting Israel

Statement

Today, Representative Brad Schneider led Representatives Ted Deutch, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Kathy Manning, Elaine Luria, Josh Gottheimer, Dean Phillips, and Lois Frankel in releasing the following joint statement:

"We are deeply disappointed and frustrated by the recent UN General Assembly vote to approve resources for an unprecedented, open-ended Commission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate Israel. Set up in May 2021 just days after the conflict with Hamas, the COI ignores Hamas' terror activities preceding and during the May conflict, and instead attempts to discredit Israel by focusing on "root causes" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is unquestionably just another attempt by the United Nations Human Rights Council to unjustifiably target Israel. The Biden Administration has rightly stood with our ally Israel, opposed this COI, and worked to minimize its impact. However, we must not stop there. We look forward to working with the Administration to end this one-sided COI and reform the Human Rights Council, including through the institution of membership standards and the removal of the standing agenda item on Israel, the only country-specific agenda item. It is long-past time for the United Nations to end its long-standing bias against Israel."