In a move that has reignited controversy over US relations with the United Nations, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 4, directing the withdrawal of the United States from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and halting financial support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This decision comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington, DC, and is seen as a reaffirmation of the Trump administration’s pro-Israel stance.

This latest directive echoes similar actions taken during Trump’s first administration when the US withdrew from the UNHRC and ceased UNRWA funding in 2018. Those measures were reversed by President Joe Biden in 2021, as part of an effort to restore multilateral engagement. However, Trump’s renewed efforts to curtail involvement with certain UN bodies reflect his administration’s broader distrust of international organizations, which he claims exhibit an “anti-American bias” and fail to align with US interests.

The executive order also calls for a State Department review of US participation in the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The document alleges that these agencies “act contrary to the interests of the United States while attacking our allies and propagating anti-Semitism.”

Trump’s decision aligns with longstanding Israeli complaints that the UNHRC and UNESCO disproportionately target Israel. West Jerusalem has often accused these bodies of favoring Palestinian narratives and condemning Israeli actions, especially concerning Palestinian rights and cultural heritage.

The Trump........

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