US and Israel vote against UN’s 2021 budget

Israel and the United States vote against the UN’s budget for 2021, citing the international body’s “bias” against Israel and its plan to hold an event marking the 20th anniversary of the World Conference against Racism. Israel and the US withdrew from the 2001 conference in Durham, South Africa after texts circulated at the conference censured the Jewish state.

“Twenty years ago, the Durban conference convened with the worthy goal of combating racism. But, like many UN initiatives, it was promptly high-jacked by organization[s] and member states, that are interested in attacking Israel and delegitimizing its right to exist. They are not interested in human rights,” Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan says.

“Today we must all speak out against commemorating the disgrace that was the Durban Conference,” Erdan says. “Israel opposes any measure aimed at allocating a budget for this purpose — we all know that such funds will not be used to support human rights but to spread even more antisemitism and hate towards Israel.”

“It is part of a wider anti-Israel bias at the UN,” says Erdan. “I will not stand by when such lies and incitement against Israel and the Jewish people are freely given a platform.”