Beware of new UN Human Rights Council move aiming to prosecute Israeli, US troops around the world

The United Nations “Human Rights” Council is attempting an end-run around the Trump administration’s well-founded criticism. 

An incendiary draft resolution, set for a vote next week, promises to criminalize Israeli and American military actions and their commanders in chief. If adopted, the Council plans to launch prosecutions targeting Israelis and Americans in national and international courts. 

Leading the charge is a group of Islamic states — the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) — led by Pakistan, and countries that count on American largess, like Jordan and Kuwait. Also pushing the anti-American outcome – while play-acting as an American peace-partner – is Council member Qatar.

For decades, U.S. administrations have failed to ensure serious consequences for America and Israel-bashing votes at the U.N. This pattern needs to stop.

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The “Human Rights” Council resulted from a U.N. “reform” sham in 2006, when a “Council” replaced a “Commission.” The cure was worse than the disease. The Council’s members currently include such paragons of virtue as Algeria, China, Cuba and Sudan. The majority are not full democracies, and Islamic states routinely hold the balance of power through regional voting blocs.  Israel is the perennial whipping boy – more resolutions, reports, special sessions and agenda time than any other country – while the worst human rights violators protect each other. 

Antisemitism is the lingua franca. What passes for diplomatic niceties are wild blood libels, comparing Jews to Nazis, and continual attacks on the Jewish state’s creation.

In this context, the Islamic states propose to create a never-ending “mechanism” “to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under international law committed by all parties in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel.” The mechanism is “to prepare case files in order to facilitate …criminal proceedings,” “in national, regional and international courts or tribunals.” In short, the resolution sets up a global pogrom.

The sop to crimes by “all parties” is a bad joke, since “Hamas” never appears, and the only party said to engage in terrorism are Israelis.

The resolution deliberately ensnares Americans because the “crimes” include several aspects of the Israeli-American relationship. For instance, the resolution demands an arms embargo, to prevent Israelis from defending themselves against genocidal enemies.

The resolution targets “the direct and indirect transfer or sale” of “dual-use items to Israel,” including everything but the kitchen sink, like “goods” and “technologies.” 

Before the called-for “investigations,” the resolution identifies alleged Israeli crimes already committed. Kangaroo courts are to be created to terminate Jewish racism and “apartheid.” No matter that Arabs are 20% of the Jewish state, with more democratic rights than in any Arab state, while the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have made clear a “State of Palestine” would manifest true apartheid by prohibiting Jews.

To top it off, Islamic states have decided for Jews what counts as antisemitism. Their resolution says, “criticism of violations of international law by Israel should not be conflated with antisemitism.” The OIC’s “legal” criticism of the Council in the recent past, voiced by Pakistan, has sounded like this: “the occupation forces encircle Rafah like vultures.”

“We condemn the occupying power’s brutal atrocities…spanning more than seven decades in ongoing barbaric aggression.” Libya: “The Israeli project aims at a final solution.” Qatar: Israel was conducting a “war of annihilation perpetrated for 75 years in Palestine.” 

The U.S. is not a helpless bystander here. Any state refusing to vote against this resolution should know that the move will not be cost-free. The U.S. should withhold all funds from the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, which will staff and manage the “mechanism.” Any state or company that cooperates with discriminatory antisemitic boycotts and embargoes should not be doing business, directly or indirectly, with the government of the United States. It is high time to confront and terminate the U.N. bullies’ reign of terror.