The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted countless resolutions against Israel throughout its history, and U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has been very vocal about this biased trend. On June 6, Ambassador Haley addressed the Council, calling on it to end its one-sided, anti-Israel behavior as part of her remarks at the opening of the body’s 35th session in Geneva. Ambassador Haley highlighted that the council has adopted, “five biased resolutions in March against a single country, Israel.” U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley These sentiments were reiterated again in Ambassador Haley’s later remarks at the Graduate Institute of Geneva, where she urged the Council to remove agenda item seven. Agenda item seven – “Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories” – constantly inspires resolutions, with an average of five passed per year since 2006. It is important to note that Israel/Palestine is the only country/issue that holds its own place on the Council’s standing agenda. As stated by a US State Department’s spokesperson, Mark Toner, this agenda item is “yet another reminder of that body’s long-standing bias against Israel.” Ambassador Haley went on to add that “since its creation, the Council has passed more than 70 resolutions targeting Israel,” in contrast to “just seven on Iran.” This chronic behavior at the Human Rights Council and the UN as a whole demonstrates more than just anti-Israel; it is anti-Semitic. Kenneth L. Marcus, President and General Counsel for the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under the Law explains this in his book, The Definition of Anti-Semitism. Marcus describes a test that Natan Sharansky developed – the “3-D Test” – according to which anti-Israel rhetoric crosses the line into anti-Semitism if it: Demonizes Israel, Delegitimizes the Jewish state, and applies Double standards to Israel that are not the same as those applied to any other democracy. The UN Human Rights Council has most evidently engaged in anti-Israel criticism that can be rightfully classified as anti-Semitism. It consistently demonizes Israel, calling it a human rights abuser and an apartheid state. Additionally, Sociologist Sina Arnold has highlighted 5 distinct forms of double standards that are employed with regards to Israel. One of which, the “double standard of salience” by which Israel’s conflicts garner more attention than other comparable international disputes is very evident in the Council’s consistent condemnation of Israel given how the Council has ignored many other comparable or worse international disputes. Syria, a country where its leader, “bombs his own hospitals, ambulances and medical workers,” helped sponsor a resolution to address the, “Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem and in the occupied Syrian Golan.” Instead of criticizing the countries, like Syria, that are notorious for their daily human rights abuses, the Council empowers them to target Israel. Ambassador Haley ended her remarks by calling on other countries to help her in addressing this bias and reforming the Council so that it more aptly achieves its goal; she stated that “the status quo is not acceptable,” and that “It is not a place for countries who champion human rights.”
Download PDF Washington, D.C, June 12, 2017: The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (LDB) is pleased to announce its new summer team: Civil Rights Law Clerks Jennifer Kleinman and Jordan Weber, and interns Ali Rosenblatt and Michaela Shapiro. Throughout the summer, LDB Clerks will conduct legal research and writing, while LDB’s interns will assist with communications and development, among other important tasks. “It is a pleasure to welcome Jen, Jordan, Ali, and Michaela as they join our team,” says Kenneth L. Marcus, LDB President and General Counsel. “They will help greatly in our work combatting anti-Semitism.” Jennifer is currently a rising second year law student at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where she will serve as the President of the LDB Law school chapter on that campus. She holds a BA in Government and Counter-Terrorism from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. In between her studies, she has worked as a SAG and AFTRA accredited actress in Los Angeles, before beginning her career in the non-profit world. This career began when she worked as a Southwest Campus Coordinator for StandWithUs from 2012-2015. As the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, Jennifer says, “there is nothing more fulfilling and meaningful than fighting for equality, truth, and justice.” That is what brings her to the clerkship at LDB. Jordan is also a rising second year law student at Emory, where he will serve as the President of the LDB Law school chapter on campus. He holds a BA in International Relations and Global studies from University of Texas – Austin, with a special interest in Human Rights and Social Justice. This led him to complete undergraduate research on Israeli ethnic policy and racial/religious politics in Western Europe. He took these interests and put them to work with the Anti-Defamation League in Austin. After graduating, he went on to work for the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas in Community Outreach and Legislative Affairs. Becoming a legal clerk for LDB this summer was just one more way for Jordan to work on ensuring human rights and social justice. Ali is a rising Junior at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, majoring in Political Science and Sociology, with a sub-plan in Law, Justice and Social Change. She serves on the Central Student Government, last year as a Representative and this year as the Vice Speaker. She worked on the Communications Committee and served as the Social Media Director for a student government campaign, work that drew her to the communications internship. LDB stood out to her because, “it speaks up against anti-Semitism when few else do.” She is committed to speaking out and fighting against this, among all other forms of prejudice in higher education. Michaela is a rising Senior at Northwestern University majoring in History, with a focus on European studies, and minoring in Psychology. She hopes to take on a fellowship after graduation working or teaching internationally. Next year, she will write her senior thesis in History, in addition to helping her History professor with archival research as a Leopold Fellow. Outside of her studies, she serves as the Vice President of Events for Relay for Life at Northwestern, the largest fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. She has long-admired LDB’s work and hopes to help push for policy changes. “The anti-Semitism, and hate crimes, that I’ve witnessed firsthand both on campus and abroad in France inspired me to work in the field of human rights,” Michaela said, “and I hope to utilize my passion for justice initiatives as a means of implementing concrete changes in legislation.” LDB continues to grow. Jen, Jordan, Ali and Michaela will join Edward Kunz who has been with LDB since January.