<div>A day after US President Donald Trump announced America's withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Israel&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa&rsquo;ar declared that Israel would also pull out of the UNHRC, aligning itself with the US decision.</div>
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<div>On Wednesday, Sa&rsquo;ar expressed Israel&rsquo;s support for Trump&rsquo;s move, calling it a "step in the right direction."</div>
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<div>In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sa&rsquo;ar stated,&nbsp;"Israel welcomes President Trump's decision not to participate in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Israel joins the United States and will not participate in the UNHRC."</div>
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<div>The Israeli Foreign Minister criticized the UNHRC, claiming it "traditionally protects human rights abusers by allowing them to evade scrutiny while obsessively demonizing the only democracy in the Middle East&mdash;Israel." He further accused the body of "promoting anti-Semitism instead of defending human rights."</div>
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<div>"The discrimination against us is clear: Israel is the only country with a dedicated agenda item at the UNHRC. The Council has passed over 100 condemnatory resolutions against Israel&mdash;accounting for more than 20% of all resolutions ever passed&mdash;surpassing those against Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela combined. Israel will no longer tolerate this bias," he added.</div>
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<div>Sa&rsquo;ar also shared Israel&rsquo;s official withdrawal letter to the UNHRC on social media, reiterating that Israel "will no longer participate in a Council that enables human rights violators to escape accountability while relentlessly targeting Israel."</div>
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<div><strong>'Allies' Trump and Netanyahu&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>Israel&rsquo;s announcement coincided with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s visit to the US, where he met with President Trump in Washington, DC.</div>
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<div>During a joint press conference, Trump announced that the US was withdrawing from the "anti-Semitic" UN Human Rights Council and cutting all funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which he alleged had ties to Hamas.</div>
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<div>"This afternoon, the United States withdrew from the anti-Semitic UN Human Rights Council and ended all support for the UN Relief and Works Agency, which funneled money to Hamas. Today, I also took action to restore our maximum pressure policy on Iran and will once again enforce the toughest sanctions, driving Iranian oil exports to zero," Trump said.</div>
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<div><strong>Shift in US-Israel Relations with the UNHRC</strong></div>
<div>Back in 2018, during Trump&rsquo;s first term, the US withdrew from the UNHRC. At the time, Israel did not fully exit but limited its participation. However, after the 2020 US election, President Joe Biden renewed American engagement with the UNHRC, and the US won a seat on the 47-member council in October 2021.</div>
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<div>In 2023, the Biden administration announced that the US would not seek a second consecutive term on the UNHRC, signaling a gradual shift in policy.</div>
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<div>Meanwhile, Netanyahu's visit to the US focused on discussions regarding a Gaza ceasefire agreement and broader Middle East security strategies.</div>
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<div>During the joint press conference, Trump reaffirmed US-Israel ties, stating:&nbsp;"The bonds of friendship and affection between the American and Israeli people have endured for generations, and they are absolutely unbreakable."</div>

US President Trump and Israel PM Netanyahu during the joint press meet at the White House

'Allies' Donald Trump and PM Benjamin Netanyahu Meet in Washington, DC

After US Withdraws from UNHRC, Israel Follows Suit

'Allies' Donald Trump and PM Benjamin Netanyahu Meet in Washington, DC

February 6, 2025 | 19:35 IST