A bipartisan group of over 100 House lawmakers is threatening to withhold funding to the United Nations if the international organization downgrades Israel’s standing in the U.N. General Assembly.
In the letter sent to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, the members expressed outrage at the U.N. implementing a “one-sided” advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice that they believe is “undercutting Israel’s right to defend itself” after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that left over 1,200 Israelis dead.
In September, 124 countries voted to demand the end of Israel’s “occupation” of Palestinian territories, while 14 countries, including the United States, voted against it. The vote came after the court released an opinion in July that called Israel’s occupation unlawful and that the Jewish state is obligated to bring a swift end to the war and provide reparations for any damages caused to people in the Palestinian area.
“Congress has taken note of the numerous U.N. actions aimed to delegitimize Israel’s right to self-defense, raising serious questions over the future of U.S. funding to the U.N.,” the lawmakers wrote. “We have concluded that the U.N. is not a neutral party, but one that has definitively taken sides against Israel.”
“We will not accept the U.N.’s ongoing hostility to our ally Israel,” they added, reminding Guterres that the U.S. is the “largest donor” to the U.N., with American contributions accounting for one-third of the collective budget.
The letter is led by Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) and signed by 105 Republican and Democratic colleagues, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Ten other House Democrats joined Moskowitz in signing the letter to Guterres.
The war following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks has displaced thousands of Palestinians and led to over 40,000 civilian deaths, per the Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas.
Funding to Israel has become a divisive topic in Congress, particularly as a growing number of congressional Democrats have called for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza and criticized the Jewish state for its methods of fighting Hamas at the expense of civilians. Roughly half of Democrats skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before a joint session of Congress in July.
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The Biden administration recently warned Israel that its actions in Gaza could threaten future U.S. military aid to the Jewish state, causing backlash from GOP lawmakers who believe the U.S. should stand in solidarity with Israel for as long as it takes.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that he expects “negotiators will be getting together in the coming days” to discuss pathways toward an Israel–Hamas ceasefire and hostage release agreement.
