This anti-Israel U.N. ‘Special Committee’ must be put out of its misery
Afghanistan is tense in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban takeover. In Hong Kong, democracy is steadily being eroded. Haiti is reeling in the midst of political violence and natural disaster. In the Horn of Africa, war and drought threaten the lives and well-being of millions.
But at the United Nations, all of this matters not a whit. For what ails the world, all of this is secondary to one wellknown culprit for the
world’s ills: the state of Israel.
At every session of the U.N. General Assembly, more than a dozen resolutions are passed to demonize Israel — more than are passed against all other countries combined. All of them are preposterous in their bias, onesidedness and counterproductivity. Most are simply declaratory and, while deplorable, are of limited practical consequence.
But this year, one proposal — out of the barrage of annual anti-Israel resolutions — is of real significance: the reauthorization of the mandate of and funding for The Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Human Rights Practices or SCIIHRP. Established by the General Assembly in 1968, the SCIIHRP was purposely modeled after a similar U.N. body that already existed to monitor abuses in apartheid South Africa.
The sole purpose of this Special Committee is to excoriate Israel in the court of world public opinion as a uniquely evil violator of human rights and an abusive colonial oppressor.
Created in the context of the Cold War, the SCIIHRP peddles a false narrative about Israel that was not true in 1968 and certainly is not true today. Despite internationally recognized human-rights violations occurring in numerous states globally, no other country has the distinction of having a “special committee” devoted to investigating its supposed human rights abuses. Year after year, this Special Committee churns out harsh and inflammatory reports criticizing Israel mercilessly. Again, no other country is subjected to similar treatment.
The existence of such a body within the United Nations system discredits it and harms its credibility. It also is offensive to U.S. taxpayers, who, after all pay, close to 25% of the entire U.N. budget and deserve accountability.
The world and the Middle East have changed drastically since 1968. But at United Nations, time apparently stands still.
The Abraham Accords have created dynamic partnerships between Israel and visionary, forward-looking Arab countries. They have created hope for all the people of the Middle East, including Palestinians. Isolation of Israel and the fetishization of Palestinian victimhood is not conducive to peace, which can only come about through direct, good-faith, unconditional negotiations between the parties.
Support for the Special Committee is waning. Last year, an all-time low of only 76 countries (out of 196 members) voted in favor of supporting the activities of the SCIIHRP. Obviously, more countries are realizing that this kind of poisonous kabuki theater serves no constructive purpose. But many countries, no doubt, continue to vote to ratify the activities of this outdated institution out of inertia, or without realizing the true nature of its activities. These countries ought to be encouraged to make a contribution to peace by voting down the Special Committee once and for all. Such an outcome would benefit both Israelis and Palestinians and would serve the interest of the United Nations itself.
Shelley Berkley, a former congresswoman from Nevada, is currently CEO and senior provost of the Western division at Touro College. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the American Jewish International Relations InstituteB’nai B’rith International. Dan Burton, a former congressman from Indiana, was a senior member of House Foreign Affairs Committee. Eliot Engel, a former congressman from the Bronx and Westchester, New York, was chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He is a member of the advisory board of the American Jewish International Relations Institute-B’nai B’rith International.