United States might withdraw from UN Human Rights Council over 'anti-Israel bias'

In a speech Tuesday to the council in Geneva, Haley cited Israel as one of several factors leading the United States to reconsider its membership.

Speaking Tuesday, she said, "We'll be talking with the Human Rights Council about what we think they do well, what we think is not productive, and if there is some reform that could happen out of that".

Haley, who has been acting to cancel the Council's permanent Agenda Item Seven, a regular slot calling for the examination of the human rights situation in "Palestine and other occupied Arab territories", said the U.S.is "starting to see a turn" in the UN's attitude toward Israel.

Haley highlighted the Council's ostracizing of Israel, "a country with a strong human rights record", compared to its stance on Iran who has "an abysmal human rights record".

A number of countries that sit on the UN Human Rights Council are not cooperating with global experts who want to shed light on abuses, UN rights chief Zeid Al-Hussein said Tuesday in Geneva.

"Nikki Haley, the President Donald Trump's United Nations ambassador, delivered the ultimatum in an address in Geneva to the 47-member body".

According to a press release, Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, will accompany Haley throughout the trip, but her expected visit to various sites in the Old City of Jerusalem is billed as private, which means that no Israeli officials will accompany her there.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikky Haley talks with Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon at an undated event.

United States might withdraw from UN Human Rights Council over 'anti-Israel bias'

She then reprimanded the global body for instead issuing 5 resolutions against Israel since March.

"There's been a series of requests coming from the secretary of state's office that suggests that he is questioning the value of the USA belonging to the Human Rights Council", the former official said.

She elaborated on changes the Trump administration wants made to the council during a talk at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

Venezuela has issued a strong retort to the USA after its ambassador to the United Nations accused Caracas of ignoring human rights violations.

Countries should have to compete for membership, thus making it much harder for human rights abusers to slip through, Haley argued. She also met with Israel's President Reuven Rivlin.

Haley, a former Republican governor of SC who was tapped by President Donald Trump for the cabinet-level diplomatic post, specifically called out the Council for admitting "many of the world's worst human rights offenders" as members, including Venezuela, Cuba, and Saudi Arabia.

Donahoe, who was US ambassador to the council from 2010-2013, told Michele that "The idea of withdrawing so that agenda reflects what the USA wants is backward".

"People concerned about the council's treatment of Israel know this, which is why many are reluctant for the United States to leave the council". After President Barack Obama took office in 2009, Washington changed course and applied for a seat at the Geneva body.