Last updated: April 4, 2024
GENEVA -- The World Jewish Congress has been an active participant at the ongoing session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva which began in late February, and is set to run until the start of April. WJC officials have been engaging in bilateral discussions, delivering statements to the Council, and holding a side event focusing attention on the rise of antisemitism online in the aftermath of October 7th.
The previous Council session, which concluded on 13 October 2023, failed to condemn the terror attacks carried out by Hamas, so this will be the first opportunity for UN Member States to do so.
Among the topics up for discussion have been the Universal Periodic Review, which examines the rights records of each UN Member State, and Item 7 — the body’s only standing agenda item targeting a single nation as well as the Council’s lack of adequate response to the Hamas attacks.
The Council is known for its historic and structural anti-Israel bias and has condemned the world’s only Jewish state at a higher rate than all other nations combined.
The World Jewish Congress has been active at each UNHRC session since the organization’s establishment in 2006.
What Will WJC Has Done So Far:
The World Jewish Congress facilitated a meeting between UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, and Raz Ben Ami, her daughter, Ella Ben Ami, and Aviva Siegel, and her daughter, Elan Tiv. Raz Ben Ami and Aviva Siegel were formerly held captive by Hamas. The two families’ respective husbands and fathers, Ohad and Keith, are still held hostage in Gaza. The participants at the gathering, including WJC’s Geneva Representative Leon Saltiel, issued an urgent call for the unconditional release of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
WJC Executive Vice President Maram Stern carried out a diplomatic marathon, meeting with leaders from countries including Argentina, Lithuania, Germany, and Greece to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages, condemn and ensure accountability for terrorism, and address the rise of antisemitism.
As the session progressed, WJC has shone a light on the rise of online antisemitism in the wake of October 7th through a side event featuring former Prime Minister of France Manuel Valls. Leading researchers and WJC officials presented the findings our report on how Wikipedia had been used as a tool to spread disinformation.
WJC International Relations Officer Elizaveta Zaidman, on March 26, delivered the first of what will be nearly a dozen statements to the Council on behalf of the World Jewish Congress. She denounced the highly politicized and divisive report released earlier in the day by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese. Zaidman also reiterated WJC's support for a two-state solution.
Jenny Sivida, a survivor of the October 7th massacre, also delivered a statement on the WJC’s behalf. She shared her story of survival, recounted the loss of her brother at the hands of Hamas, and called on members of the body to hold the perpetrators of the October 7th attack accountable. Speaking later that same day, Yarden Gonen, whose sister Romi is currently a hostage in Gaza, called on member-state representatives at the UNHRC to bring about the immediate release of the hostages.
Additional statements were delivered by WJC’s Vatican representative, Viktor Eichner, and Jewish Diplomatic Corps member Derika Weddington. Each highlighted the initiatives that WJC has established to foster interfaith relations and combat racial discrimination.
What Else Do You Need to Know About the UNHRC?
Representatives of WJC-affiliated Jewish communities in Canada, Colombia, and Germany will also address the Council. The WJC enables Jewish communities worldwide to speak during the adoption of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) reports from their respective countries.
As its name indicates, the United Nations Human Rights Council is the premier international body established to protect universal rights and liberties. Unfortunately, despite this honorable mission, the UNHRC has a long legacy of disproportionate focus on Israel through its standing Agenda Item 7. The agenda item calls for every UNHRC session to include a debate about Israel's human rights record, something that is not done for any other country – even countries whose human rights abuses far outpace the Jewish State. The Council has adopted more resolutions and has held more special sessions against Israel than any other country in the world.
