CFI calls for UK to vote against all UN Human Rights Council resolutions targeting Israel

CFI Parliamentary Chairmen, Rt. Hon. Stephen Crabb MP (Commons) and Rt. Hon. The Lord Pickles (Lords), and CFI Honorary President Lord Polak CBE, have written to the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to call on the UK to vote against all resolutions targeting Israel at this week’s session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The UK Government has repeatedly expressed concern at the UNHRC’s “disproportionate” focus on Israel and confirmed last year that “unless things change, we will move to vote against all resolutions”.

The letter contends that “it is evident this week that the UNHRC have chosen to ignore the UK Government’s warnings” and urges that the UK “sends a clear and unambiguous message that such bias will no longer be tolerated as it is not conducive to peace in the region”. They add: “The UK is an important member of the Human Rights Council and we believe it is important to demonstrate that UK warnings can not be lightly cast aside”.

The three parliamentarians express particular concern over reports that Agenda Item 2 and 4 on the UNHRC agenda are set to include the controversial United Nations Commission of Inquiry into the violent Gaza border protests last year, despite being introduced under Agenda Item 7. This is criticised as a “slight of hand and a procedural abuse”, and they reiterate that the UK stated last year that it would “move next year to vote against all resolutions introduced under Item 7”.