Nikki Haley: UN must stop wrongly singling out Israel for criticism
The US Ambassador to the UN slams the world body for its unfair treatment of Israel, speaks in defense of the Jewish state once more.
By JOY BERNARDUpdated: JUNE 3, 2017 12:34US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley addresses the United Nations Security Council at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, US, April 4, 2017.(photo credit: REUTERS/BRENDAN MCDERMID)
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley spoke out in defense of Israel just a week prior to her visit to the country in , bashing the UN's Human Rights Council for what she deemed as its biased approach and harsh and unfair judgement of the Jewish state."The council must end its practice of wrongly singling out Israel for criticism," the US envoy wrote in the article, which appeared Friday night. "When the council passes more than 70 resolutions against Israel, a country with a strong human rights record, and just seven resolutions against Iran, a country with an abysmal human rights record, you know something is seriously wrong," she continued.Haley made the aforementioned statement as part of a description of the grievances she said she would like to air with the Human Rights Council, which she is expected to address in Geneva, Switzerland on June 6 before paying an official visit to Israel."Next week, I will travel to Geneva to address the Human Rights Council about the United States' concerns. I will outline changes that must be made," Haley announced, before going on to describe several issues she believes the council overlooks or does not tackle properly.Haley provided examples to reinforce her claim, pointing to the human rights crises taking place in Cuba, in Venezuela and in Ukraine. "All too often.. the victims of the world's most egregious human rights violations are ignored by the very organization that is supposed to protect them," she charged.She went on the explain that the US was seriously considering pulling out from the council, adding that a Senate subcommittee gathered to discuss the issue. "The question was whether the Human Rights Council actually supports human rights or is merely a showcase for dictatorships that use their membership to whitewash brutality," Haley added.The US ambassador is considered to be an avid supporter of Israel, and this was not the first time she publicly spoke out in favor of the country following UN actions against Israel.In May Haley stated during an interview with CBS that the Western Wall was part of Israel and that she thought the US Embassy in Israel should be relocated to Jerusalem, a mere few weeks after the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization passed a resolution that disavowed Israel's sovereignty in Jerusalem.Nikki Haley discusses US commitment to two-state solution on Feb. 16, 2017 (credit: REUTERS)"The Western Wall is part of Israel and I think that is how we have always seen it and that is how we should pursue it," she said."I am not really sure what happened with that issue. I know that they are trying to fix that and get that taken care of, we have always thought the Western Wall was part of Israel," she stressed.
In April when Haley presided over the council she said that it should focus its Middle East debate on other topics instead of centering on what she called "Israel bashing."Haley is expected to stay in Israel from June 7 to June 9. She is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin. She will also pay visits to Jerusalem's Old City and to Israel's Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. Additionally, she is slated to hold talks with Palestinian Authority officials.