Members Of UN Commission Probing Israel Resign After Accusations Of Bias

The heads of the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory all resigned on Monday, citing different reasons.

The inquiry has faced severe criticism over its alleged anti-Israel bias, with all those who resigned coming under scrutiny. South Africa’s Navi Pillay, who is 83 years old, said her resignation was motivated by “age, medical issues, and the weight of several other commitments.” Chris Sidoti, from Australia, said it was the “appropriate time,” while Miloon Kothari from India just said it was an “honor” to serve.

Human Rights Council President Jurg Lauber requested UN representatives to nominate their replacements. 

UN Watch, a human rights organization that has long exposed anti-Israel bias at the United Nations, hailed the development. 

Pillay has in the past lobbied to “sanction apartheid Israel,” drawing equivalence between Israel and her own country’s dark history with equality and human rights. Kothari has regurgitated antisemitic tropes of Jews controling the media and even questioned whether Israel has a right to be a member of the UN. Sidoti has criticized accusations of antisemitism by Israel, stating that Jews “throw around accusations like rice at a wedding.”

“This week, the dominoes are falling,” said Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch. “First, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the historic decision to sanction Francesca Albanese, the UN’s pro-Hamas rapporteur, in wake of a massive campaign led by UN Watch. Now the architects of the UN’s anti-Israel inquisition are fleeing the ship. The tide is turning.”

“The resignation of all three commissioners is long overdue,” he added. “This was a commission born in prejudice – designed to target Israel, while ignoring Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Authority. Its members were selected precisely for their hostility to the Jewish state.”