WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the United States again withdrew from the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and ended funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for consistently being anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. In an executive order, President Donald Trump reinstated the same withdrawal and cease in funding he ordered during his first administration in 2018. 

In 2021, the Biden administration had resumed both U.S. membership in the UNHRC and funding for UNRWA, which oversees humanitarian aid to Gaza. However Biden paused the UNRWA funding in 2024 over allegations that several of its now fired employees were involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

President Trump signed the order just before meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, which marks the first official foreign head of state visit for the second Trump administration and sends a strong signal of support for Israel.

According to a White House fact sheet, the UNHRC “has not fulfilled its purpose” to promote peace, consistently showed bias against Israel, while ignoring actual human rights abuses by other governments, such as Iran, China, and Cuba. 

The order reads, “The United States helped found the United Nations (UN) after World War II to prevent future global conflicts and promote international peace and security. But some of the UN’s agencies and bodies have drifted from this mission and instead act contrary to the interests of the United States while attacking our allies and propagating anti-Semitism.”

“The United States will not participate in the UNHRC and will not seek election to that body,” the order continued.  

Regarding UNRWA, the order stated, “UNRWA has reportedly been infiltrated by members of groups long designated by the Secretary of State as foreign terrorist organizations, and UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.  UNHRC has protected human rights abusers by allowing them to use the organization to shield themselves from scrutiny.”

As the White House fact sheet reads, “President Trump is once again taking action to stand up for human rights by withdrawing the United States from this corrupt organization for good.”

According to the Congressional Research Service, the United States gave $422 million to UNRWA in 2023, the most of any country.

President Trump’s order also directed “renewed scrutiny” for a third U.N. organization, the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The review will evaluate how UNESCO supports United States interests and determine whether there is any anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment within the organization.  

After President Trump withdrew from UNESCO in 2017, the organization took steps to improve its relationship with Israel, noted the White House fact sheet.

Liberty Counsel Action Chairman Mat Staver said, “The United Nations has a history of anti-Semitism and an irrational bias against Israel. The U.N Relief and Works Agency has been compromised by Hamas and funding it gives money to the enemy of Israel, our ally. President Donald Trump’s executive order is a strong show of support for Israel by removing the U.S. from UNRWA and the U.N. Human Rights Council that are hostile towards Israel and the United States. The U.S. should never be a part of anti-Semitic and un-American organizations.”

Liberty Counsel Action is a 501(c)(4), nonprofit, grassroots organization advancing religious and civil liberties, the sanctity of human life, the family, limited and responsible government, national security, and support for Israel in Washington D.C. and across America.