The American president is expected to sign the orders to reduce links and funds to the UN agencies while Netanyahu visits the White House.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, plans to reduce the engagement of the United States with the United Nations Human Rights Council and to extend a ban on financing from the United Nations Palestinian refugees for refugees UNRWA, said a nameless White House official.
The American news media, including Politico and NPR, reported on Monday that Trump was to sign a decree to withdraw from the two UN organizations on Tuesday, the same day that the White House should welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a long -standing longtime criticism of the UN and the ISRWA in particular.
Since he took office for a second term on January 20, Trump has already withdrawn the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris climate agreement, which he has Also withdrawn during his first mandate – a decision which was then reversed by the Biden Administration.
Trump’s withdrawal from the United States of the United Nations Human Rights Council would not be a first for Trump, who withdrew from the Council during his first mandate.
When the Trump administration left the Human Rights Council in 2018, Trump’s envoy Nikki Haley said that the decision was due to “chronic parties” against Israel of the body, which is made up of 47 UN member states which are elected for ninety conditions of the year.
The Council performs periodic examinations of human rights files in the member states of the United Nations, including the United States, which is expected to undergo its next examination in August.
During the last review of the United States Council in 2020, countries made recommendations on how Washington could improve his human rights file, in particular by attacking racism and closing the prison of the Bay of Guantanamo.
The Council is also responsible for the appointment of human rights experts to serve as special rapporteurs independent of the UN.
Several special reporters of the United Nations accused Israel of having committed a genocide in Gaza, in particular, in particular the special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese.
As an elected member of the Council, more recently of 2022-2024, the United States has also taken advantage of its position to criticize the human rights file in other countries.
UNRWA Order comes while Netanyahu visits the White House
Trump’s plan to sign another decree specifically targeting the besieged UNRWA coincides with Netanyahu’s visit to the White House.
According to a UNRWA situation report, Israeli forces killed 272 UNRWA staff during the Israel 15 -month assault on the Gaza Strip and have repeatedly attacked buildings of the UNRWA, including schools where thousands of Palestinians were looking for shelter.
In October, the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, adopted two bills prohibiting UNRWA operations within the borders of Israel, including occupied East Jerusalem, which entered into force last week. Founded by the United Nations General Assembly in 1949, UNRWA provides assistance, health and education services to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, occupied West Bank, in East Jerusalem-East, in Syria, in Lebanon and Jordan.
The United States was the largest donor in UNRWA, offering $ 300 million $ 400mmons, but Biden interrupted funds in January 2024 after Israel made accusations not based on a dozen personnel ‘UNRWA participating in the mortal on October 7, 2023, attacking Israel by Hamas.
Although an independent report noted that the Israeli authorities have not provided proof of their complaints to the UN, the US Congress has decided to officially suspend contributions to UNRWA before at least March 2025. noted later that nine employees could have been involved in the attack and were dismissed.
UNRWA plays a vital role in the recovery of Gaza while a fragile ceasefire continues to hold between Israel and Hamas.
Trump and Netanyahu should discuss the next phase of the ceasefire agreement when they meet.
Speaking after the arrival of Netanyahu in the United States on Monday, Trump said that there was “no guarantee” that the cease-fire agreement held.
