GENEVA – The World Jewish Congress denounces the four one-sided, anti-Israel resolutions adopted today by the UN Human Rights Council.
The resolutions, which are rampant with inflammatory language and one-sided narratives, come at the close of the 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.
“The failure to acknowledge Hamas as the perpetrator of the October 7 terrorist attacks is a moral stain on the council and undermines Israel’s right to self-defense,” said Leon Saltiel, WJC’s representative to the UN in Geneva, “The World Jewish Congress wishes to thank Argentina, Bulgaria, Germany, Malawi, Paraguay and the United States for opposing this subversion of truth by voting No on the resolution filed under item 2. The other three texts are adopted under the Council’s discredited agenda item 7, the only item against a particular country, Israel.”
The World Jewish Congress also reiterated the urgent need to free the remaining hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza and to use all tools available to address the global rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel bias.
As part of that effort, WJC in Geneva hosted at the Human Rights Council family members of Israeli hostages held in Gaza as well as a survivor from the October 7 terror attacks.
Yarden Gonen, sister of Israeli hostage Romi Gonen, speaking to the UNHRC on behalf of the World Jewish Congress, told the body that “All the hostages should be released immediately and unconditionally. You wouldn’t want it to happen to your loved ones, why are you letting it happen to my sister? Bring them home now.”
Jenny Sividya, a survivor of the massacre at the Nova Music Festival, pleaded with the UNHRC, “Mr. President, I am asking the council to stop the silence and blindness surrounding the October 7th massacre, to condemn Hamas and to ensure accountability for their crimes and guarantee the safety of the citizens of Israel.”
The WJC campaign also featured two meetings between Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and former Israeli hostages and family members of those who are still being held captive.
WJC Executive Vice President Maram Stern engaged in a diplomatic marathon for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages, accountability for terrorism and remedies for the rise of antisemitism in the wake of Oct. 7.
On the sidelines of the Human Rights Council session in Geneva, WJC released a report on widespread anti-Israel bias in English-language Wikipedia entries. The bias takes myriad of forms, appearing in terminology, framing and lack of context, one-sided sources and critical omissions, among other occurrences, in articles on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, according to the WJC report.
During its previous session, which concluded Oct. 13, the Human Rights Council failed to condemn the terror attacks carried out by Hamas.
About the World Jewish Congress
Media contact
