Rubio, Cotton Introduce Legislation Combating Anti-Israel Bias at United Nations

"U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) today introduced the Countering Anti-Semitism and Anti-Israel Activities act, legislation combating systematic bias and targeting of the Jewish state of Israel at the United Nations. The bill calls for the withholding of U.S. funding for the United Nations (U.N.) and affiliated agencies until the president certifies that no U.N. agency or affiliated agency grants any official status, accreditation, or recognition to any organization which promotes or condones anti-Semitism, or includes any such organization as a subsidiary or member.

'As I said when the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 2334 with the United States abstaining, if the U.N. wants to continue to attack Israel and promote anti-Semitism, I will work to see that it does so without U.S. taxpayer funding,' said Rubio. 'It's time for the United Nations to be held accountable for targeting and singling out Israel while countries that actually threaten international peace and security-like Russia and China-go unchallenged.'

'This bill simply puts into law what should be common sense: Americans' tax dollars should not fund anti-Semitic activities or nefarious efforts to undermine the legitimacy of Israel,' said Cotton. 'For too long, the world's worst actors have used the United Nations as a forum to point an accusatory finger at Israel and deflect from their own failings. That will stop only when America leads, stands on principle, and uses its considerable leverage to force true reform at the United Nations.'

Additionally, this bill:

• Withholds funding from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) until the secretary of state certifies that the UNHRC does not include a permanent item related to the state of Israel or the Palestinian territories.

• Withholds funding from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency until the secretary of state certifies that no official, employee, consultant, contractor, subcontractor, representative, or affiliate of UNRWA is a member of Hamas or any U.S.-designated terrorist group.

• Requires a report on U.S. contributions to countries seeking to implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334.

• Requires a report on voting practices at the United Nations.

• Requires a report on anti-Semitic and anti-Israel activity at the United Nations."