"Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Thursday that his country will no longer 'rig' its vote at the UN Human Rights Council and will instead vote 'in line' with the positions of Israel and the United States, Brazilian daily Folha de S.Paulo reported.
Brazil will no longer vote with 'Venezuela, Iran, and Cuba, countries that have no appreciation for freedom,' Bolsonaro reportedly said.
In June, the US announced its withdrawal from the Human Rights Council, branding the global body a 'cesspool of political bias,' particularly over its treatment of Israel. Israel has never been a member state of the Human Rights Council, whose 47 members are elected by the UN General Assembly.
The council's controversial Agenda Item 7, a permanent fixture on the schedule, is exclusively devoted to discussing alleged Israeli rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel is the only country with a dedicated council item. Item 7 on 'Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories' has been part of the council's regular business since 2007, almost as long as the council itself has existed.
Last month, Brazil joined European Union nations and Japan in voting against Item 7 after years of abstentions or votes against Israel at the council..."