Latest news with #AnneBayefsky
Fox News
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
UN blasted for funding committee 'created to destroy the Jewish state,' despite budget crisis
Critics slammed the United Nations for rewarding a controversial anti-Israel Commission of Inquiry with four new positions worth up to three-quarters of a million dollars, even as the world body undergoes a severe cash crisis. "When it comes to spending money for the spread of antisemitism, the U.N. doesn't have a spending limit," Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital. On June 4, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem (COI), led by South African Navi Pillay, announced four new job openings for senior-level positions in Geneva. These include two P-2 level associate interpreters, one higher-level P-3 level human rights officer, and a still more senior P-4 level human rights officer. Combined, their salaries will range from $530,000 to $704,000, based on salary scales released by the U.N. and its location-based salary multiplier (set at .814 for Swiss employees), published in a document supplied to Fox News Digital by a diplomatic source. These salaries do not include other senior-level U.N. employee benefits, including dependent costs, housing allowances, or relocation fees. Bayefsky asked why the U.N.'s "belt-tightening exercise…applies to all kinds of urgent matters but exempts the COI, which has simultaneously gone on a spending-spree." "The COI was created to destroy the Jewish state and is now conducting itself accordingly." She said its latest report, issued in June, is "totally unhinged" and "claims Israelis are like Nazis engaged in 'extermination' of the Palestinians, refers to those 'extremist Jews,' denies biblical history, [and] fuels antisemitism by claiming Jews defile Muslim holy sites." A spokesperson from the U.N. Human Rights Office did not respond to Fox News Digital's questions about the Commission's findings. Pillay and the COI have come under fire previously for anti-Israel sentiment. In January 2022, 42 Republicans and Democrats in Congress signed an open letter calling for the U.S. to defund the COI. The Representatives expressed concern that "Chairwoman Navi Pillay, while serving as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014, repeatedly and unjustly accused Israel of committing war crimes." They stated that while she condemned Israel, Pillay "reportedly said nothing at all about egregious human rights abuses in dozens of other countries which, unlike Israel, received the worst, 'Not Free' rating from the respected Freedom House." In October 2023, a representative from the U.S. Mission to the U.N. in Geneva said before the Third Committee of the U.N. that the U.S. "remains deeply concerned about the scope and nature of the open-ended Commission of Inquiry established in May 2021. The COI demonstrates a particular bias against Israel in subjecting it to a unique mechanism that does not exist for any other U.N. Member State." In October 2024, a report from the COI excluded information about Hamas' use of Kamal Adwan Hospital for operations, failed to recount the maltreatment Israeli hostages received at Gazan hospitals, and could "not verify" that tunnels found below Al-Shifa hospital "were used for military purposes." Bayefsky said the report trafficked in blood libels. In March, Pillay's commission claimed that rape and sexual violence are part of the Israel Defense Force's "standard operating procedures towards Palestinians." Pillay also said that the IDF's sexual violence creates "a system of oppression that undermines [Palestinians'] right to self-determination." In response, Bayefsky called Pillay "the world's leading champion of the 2001 U.N. 'Durban Declaration' slander that a Jewish state is a racist state." In March 2024, Congress passed a budget bill that eliminated funding for the COI while simultaneously banning funds for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), according to the Jerusalem Post. The U.N. Human Rights Council is already experiencing the impact of the organization's liquidity crisis. In a June 16 letter penned by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, the Human Rights Council outlines more than a dozen reports, as well as studies, regional workshops, and panels mandated by the Council, which were not able to be completed due to inadequate resourcing. In response to a request for comment about how the COI has received additional personnel while the Human Rights Council deals with scarcity, spokesperson Pascal Sim told Fox News Digital that the Human Rights Council's "views are only expressed in the resolutions and decisions that its 47 Member States adopt at the end of each of its sessions." To the question of whether the council is in greater need of personnel or funds to fulfill its current workload, Sim said that "Member States of the U.N. are currently continuing consultations on this matter." In a press conference on July 1, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Policy Guy Ryder updated reporters on U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres' cost-cutting UN80 Initiative. Ryder said that the U.N. recognizes "that we have a difficult task of untangling the undergrowth of decisions and resolutions and mechanisms that we put in place to implement them, and we wonder if we're going to be able to advance significantly." Ryder also admitted that "When a similar review was undertaken 20 years ago, it ran rather quickly into the sand. It did not produce the results that were hoped for and expected at that time. We're looking at that experience of 20 years ago and we hope we can avoid some of the pitfalls." However, Bayefsky said, "For decades, the U.N. has engaged in phony cost-saving measures while their actual expenditures have ballooned," she said, noting that the U.S. "has always been satisfied by moving around the deck chairs on the Titanic." Bayefsky said that "it's our government's job to put an end to this devious calculus by immediately withholding the entire U.N. budget until such time as the dangerous lesions are removed. It's our job to deny visas to the COI members planning to come to the United States in the next couple of months. "Contrary to popular belief, it is not required by the U.S.-U.N. host agreement to allow international travelers into the U.S. to fan the flames of antisemitism, and vandalize our fundamental values and the Constitution from the middle of New York City," Bayefsky said. "We need a new boat, not new deck chairs." A budget proposal from the Trump administration leaked in April announced the intention to eliminate all expenditures to the U.N. and international organizations. In response to questions about whether a decision about U.N. funding has been finalized, a senior State Department official told Fox News Digital that "President Trump is ensuring taxpayer dollars are used wisely. Any announcements regarding funding to international organizations will come from the President or the administration." The U.S. through its taxpayers is the single-largest contributor to the U.N. In 2022, the U.N. reports that $18.1 billion, or 26.8%, of its $67.5 billion in expenditures came from the U.S.
Fox News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
UN commission accuses Israel of 'extermination' in controversial report
Israel is accused of committing "the crime against humanity of extermination" and impeding religious freedoms in a recent United Nations report. The U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel (COI) issued a scathing 19-page report. In a summary of the report, the COI said it "examines violations of international human rights law, international humanitarian law and possible international crimes relating to attacks against educational facilities and religious and cultural sites." However, the COI appears to be harsher on Israel than Palestinian authorities. In its conclusion, the COI offers 13 recommendations for Israel, two for "the de facto authorities in Gaza," two for "the Government of the State of Palestine," and two for all U.N. member states. The report is already sparking controversy, with the U.S. mission and legal experts expressing concerns over its content. "The latest report from this U.N.'s kangaroo court is a frightening indication of the antisemitism and incitement to violence spread by the United Nations on a global scale," Anne Bayefsky, Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and President of Human Rights Voices told Fox News Digital. Among its many accusations against Israel, some of the most egregious include claims that Israel is restricting religious freedoms, citing its control over holy sites in Jerusalem. The COI stated in its report that Palestinian worshipers were "subjected to increased security checks, checkpoints, harassment and assault, and criteria, linked to age, gender and place of residence, have been applied by Israeli authorities to restrict which Palestinians are allowed to enter" the Temple Mount. The commission also claims that a "religious leader" was arrested shortly after Oct. 7 over a sermon he gave at the mosque without explaining what was said. Furthermore, the commission also complained that "extremist Jews and right-wing politicians" were permitted "on multiple occasions to enter the site with a police escort, pray and cause provocation, despite a long-standing prohibition against Jewish prayer." The COI appeared to take greater issue with Jews praying than with the ban on their ability to do so, despite claiming to admonish restrictions on religious freedoms. "They claim Jews exclude non-Jews from religious sites when the exact opposite is true. Only Israel protects freedom of religion for Christians, Muslims and Jews, while Jews have been banned and Jewish religious sites have been systematically trashed by Palestinian Arabs for a century," Bayefsky told Fox News Digital. In response to a Fox News Digital request for comment, a State Department spokesperson said that the U.S. "firmly" opposes "this COI's open-ended and vaguely defined mandate" and that it does not "support its involvement in investigating the current conflict given our reservations about its structure and approach." "To be clear, Palestinians are going through sheer hell in this conflict and a lot of that is because Hamas has put them in an impossible situation. We've been clear that Israel has a right to take action against Hamas, but we've also been just as clear that Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians," the spokesperson added. In another part of the report, the COI notes that the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) documented 42 instances from Oct. 7, 2023, to March 15, 2024, in which "parties to the conflict" interfered with its schools. In response to a Fox News Digital request for comment and clarification on whether Hamas used its schools, UNRWA reiterated its condemnations of "any party to the conflict" using its facilities for "military or fighting purposes." "Since the start of the war, UNRWA has repeatedly condemned the use of UN facilities by any party to the conflict for military or fighting purposes. We have repeatedly called for independent investigation and accountability for the blatant disregard of UN staff lives, premises and operations," a spokesperson for UNRWA told Fox News Digital. "We reiterate our call on all parties to the conflict to respect the sanctity and neutrality of UN installations." While UNRWA did not directly address whether Hamas used its facilities, the commission said that Israeli forces caused "the majority of harm to educational facilities." While the commission mentions Israel's claim that Hamas has operated out of these schools, it also says that the terror organization "contested" the allegation. In its recommendations for Israel, the commission calls on Jerusalem to "cease the use of educational facilities and cultural sites for military purposes." It also recommended that "de facto authorities in Gaza" — Hamas — "cease using civilian objects for military purposes." The commission also calls on Israel to "provide effective, adequate and prompt remedy for victims of human rights violations, including surviving family members," but makes no such demands of those responsible for atrocities committed on Oct. 7.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump urged to review UN immunity, lax visa rules amid national security concerns
A 1947 agreement outlining obligations as host of the United Nations continues to give employees and their family members relatively unfettered access to the U.S. At a time of increased national security fears and immigration enforcement by the Trump administration, experts are urging a re-examination of the host nation agreement with an eye to the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff and the limited vetting given to those with U.N. visas. "The United States appears to have taken a relaxed view of the individuals entering the country associated with the U.N., either as employees or as representatives of various country missions. And yet we know that U.N. employees have had, and continue to have, close, direct relationships with terrorist organizations, like UNRWA and Hamas," Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital. Un Watchdog Project Calls On Doge Caucus To 'Audit' The International Org Bayefsky said there is "a disconnect between the welcome routine and the significant harm to American interests. Hosting the U.N. does not require the host country to facilitate or endure threats to its national security." The federal government grants G visas to employees, spouses and children of international organizations, including the U.N., who reside in, or are visiting, the U.S. According to the State Department's website, "if you are entitled to a G visa, under U.S. visa law, you must receive a G visa. The exceptions to this rule are extremely limited." The Department of State also explains that "Embassies and consulates generally do not require an interview for those applying for G-1 - 4 and NATO-1 - 6 visas, although a consular officer can request an interview." Read On The Fox News App Hugh Dugan, a senior advisor to 11 U.S. former ambassadors to the U.N., told Fox News Digital that it "appears to me that the issuance of the G visas for [U.N. employees] is a relatively rubber stamp exercise." While not requiring interviews of personnel has "become a matter of convenience, frankly, we should always be able to assess a threat to our country."' Dugan, a former National Security Council special assistant to the president and senior director for international organization affairs, said nations like Russia and China are only allowed to travel a certain distance from U.N. headquarters. "We are mindful of our adversaries' activities and presence here, but the door is open to participate in the U.N. and the host country agreement makes that possible so that no country would be barred because of a certain political atmosphere or issue that might be brewing between us and them." Fox News Digital asked the State Department whether it requires interviews for staff from adversarial member states, including Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, North Korea, Iran and China, but received no response. A State Department spokesperson reiterated that consular officers "have full authority to require an in-person interview for any reason." Peter Gallo, formerly an investigator with the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), told Fox News Digital that he is particularly concerned about the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff participating in activities related to their employment. Gallo explained that "U.S. legal system has come to accept that pretty much it's a blanket coverage." He added that "immunity breeds impunity." Republicans Seek To Block The Reappointment Of Un Official Accused Of Antisemitism Gallo claimed that there is an epidemic of sexual offenses and misconduct among U.N. staff. He cited an incident in which a U.N. employee outside the U.S. sexually harassed "a young female in his department." Gallo said it took two years after receipt of the investigation report for an investigation to be completed, which resulted in the demotion of the offending employee. Gallo said the employee who was harassed, and her harasser remained in the same organization. Gallo said that if employees take part in misconduct while based at U.N. headquarters, the U.S. government should be able to examine cases and determine whether staff should retain their G visas. Dugan said that if U.N. personnel "knew that [immunity] could be lifted at any time by us… they might start behaving a lot differently." In response to questions about whether U.N. staff have been accused of sexual misconduct in the U.S., or whether U.N. staff who engaged in misconduct have had their G visas revoked, a State Department spokesperson explained the department "generally does not provide" revocation statistics. They also said that "all visa applicants, no matter the visa type and where they are located, are continuously vetted. Security vetting runs from the time of each application, through adjudication of the visa, and afterwards during the validity period of every issued visa, to ensure the individual remains eligible to travel to the United States." The spokesperson said officials of the U.N. "are expected to respect applicable laws of the United States, including criminal laws. Failure to do so may constitute an abuse of privileges of residence." They added that this "applies for those who hold diplomatic immunity for their positions as well." Among staff who have raised internal alarm bells is U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, who traveled to the U.S. in 2024 to deliver a report before the Third Committee of the General Assembly. Albanese, whose antisemitism has been condemned widely by senior U.S. diplomats and the State Department, was allowed to tour multiple U.S. college campuses while in the U.S. In addition to qualifying for "rubber stamp" G visas, staff of international organizations like the United Nations can qualify for green cards if they have spent half of at least seven years of employment inside the U.S., or have been in the U.S. for a combined total of 15 years prior to article source: Trump urged to review UN immunity, lax visa rules amid national security concerns
Fox News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump urged to review UN immunity, lax visa rules amid national security concerns, critics say
A 1947 agreement outlining obligations as host of the United Nations continues to give employees and their family members relatively unfettered access to the U.S. At a time of increased national security fears and immigration enforcement by the Trump administration, experts are urging a re-examination of the host nation agreement with an eye to the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff and the limited vetting given to those with U.N. visas. "The United States appears to have taken a relaxed view of the individuals entering the country associated with the U.N., either as employees or as representatives of various country missions. And yet we know that U.N. employees have had, and continue to have, close, direct relationships with terrorist organizations, like UNRWA and Hamas," Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital. Bayefsky said there is "a disconnect between the welcome routine and the significant harm to American interests. Hosting the U.N. does not require the host country to facilitate or endure threats to its national security." The federal government grants G visas to employees, spouses and children of international organizations, including the U.N., who reside in, or are visiting, the U.S. According to the State Department's website, "if you are entitled to a G visa, under U.S. visa law, you must receive a G visa. The exceptions to this rule are extremely limited." The Department of State also explains that "Embassies and consulates generally do not require an interview for those applying for G-1 - 4 and NATO-1 - 6 visas, although a consular officer can request an interview." Hugh Dugan, a senior advisor to 11 U.S. former ambassadors to the U.N., told Fox News Digital that it "appears to me that the issuance of the G visas for [U.N. employees] is a relatively rubber stamp exercise." While not requiring interviews of personnel has "become a matter of convenience, frankly, we should always be able to assess a threat to our country."' Dugan, a former National Security Council special assistant to the president and senior director for international organization affairs, said nations like Russia and China are only allowed to travel a certain distance from U.N. headquarters. "We are mindful of our adversaries' activities and presence here, but the door is open to participate in the U.N. and the host country agreement makes that possible so that no country would be barred because of a certain political atmosphere or issue that might be brewing between us and them." Fox News Digital asked the State Department whether it requires interviews for staff from adversarial member states, including Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, North Korea, Iran and China, but received no response. A State Department spokesperson reiterated that consular officers "have full authority to require an in-person interview for any reason." Peter Gallo, formerly an investigator with the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), told Fox News Digital that he is particularly concerned about the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff participating in activities related to their employment. Gallo explained that "U.S. legal system has come to accept that pretty much it's a blanket coverage." He added that "immunity breeds impunity." Gallo claimed that there is an epidemic of sexual offenses and misconduct among U.N. staff. He cited an incident in which a U.N. employee outside the U.S. sexually harassed "a young female in his department." Gallo said it took two years after receipt of the investigation report for an investigation to be completed, which resulted in the demotion of the offending employee. Gallo said the employee who was harassed, and her harasser remained in the same organization. Gallo said that if employees take part in misconduct while based at U.N. headquarters, the U.S. government should be able to examine cases and determine whether staff should retain their G visas. Dugan said that if U.N. personnel "knew that [immunity] could be lifted at any time by us… they might start behaving a lot differently." In response to questions about whether U.N. staff have been accused of sexual misconduct in the U.S., or whether U.N. staff who engaged in misconduct have had their G visas revoked, a State Department spokesperson explained the department "generally does not provide" revocation statistics. They also said that "all visa applicants, no matter the visa type and where they are located, are continuously vetted. Security vetting runs from the time of each application, through adjudication of the visa, and afterwards during the validity period of every issued visa, to ensure the individual remains eligible to travel to the United States." The spokesperson said officials of the U.N. "are expected to respect applicable laws of the United States, including criminal laws. Failure to do so may constitute an abuse of privileges of residence." They added that this "applies for those who hold diplomatic immunity for their positions as well." Among staff who have raised internal alarm bells is U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, who traveled to the U.S. in 2024 to deliver a report before the Third Committee of the General Assembly. Albanese, whose antisemitism has been condemned widely by senior U.S. diplomats and the State Department, was allowed to tour multiple U.S. college campuses while in the U.S. In addition to qualifying for "rubber stamp" G visas, staff of international organizations like the United Nations can qualify for green cards if they have spent half of at least seven years of employment inside the U.S., or have been in the U.S. for a combined total of 15 years prior to retirement.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Experts slam UN action plan for combating antisemitism: ‘phony exercise in futility'
Last month, the United Nations (U.N.) released its "Action Plan to Enhance Monitoring and Response to Antisemitism," partially in response to a "surge in antisemitic incidents targeting Jews and Jewish institutions in Europe, the United States of America and elsewhere. Anne Bayefsky, the director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and the president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital that the Action Plan was a "phony exercise in futility," that was "produced by what she claimed is the leading global purveyor of antisemitism…to pretend to do something to combat antisemitism." Developed by the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the U.N.'s Action Plan emphasizes that "the ability to understand and identify antisemitism is crucial to global efforts to combat hatred and prejudice." Despite the critical nature of understanding antisemitism, the plan wholly fails to define what constitutes antisemitism. The Action Plan mentions, but does not adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which 45 member states have endorsed and which Bayefsky said "the vast majoriy of major Jewish organizations and institutions around the world accept," because it "recognizes the connection with Zionism and Israel." Israeli President Herzog Highlights Antisemitism In Un Speech As New Reort Shows Shocking Trend "The U.N. champions the idea that victims of hate and intolerance define their own experience of discrimination, isolation, and violence – except when it comes to Jews," she said. Read On The Fox News App UNAOC Director Nihal Saad was asked by Fox News Digital why the Action Plan does not define antisemitism and whether lacking this definition would hinder efforts to identify and curtail anti-Jewish prejudice. Saad said that "the Action Plan underlines the importance of understanding antisemitism rather than focusing on the definition of antisemitism and entering into a debate about it, which proved distracting from the real goal here, which is enhancing our responses to antisemitism." Referencing other issues where there is no consensus over "definition of the subject matter," Saad explained that a lack of a "definitive agreement among member states on the definition of terrorism" had not hindered the development of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which Saad called "a unique global instrument to enhance national, regional and international efforts to counter terrorism." Edmund Fitton-Brown, a senior advisor to the Counter Extremism Project and a former U.N. Monitoring Team coordinator, told Fox News Digital that "the CT[counterterrorism] strategy is a mess." Israel Orders Unrwa To Cease Operations In Country Over Terror Ties: 'Miserably Failed In Its Mandate' Though he said that some U.N. efforts to counter terrorism are effective, he said that given the lack of agreement over what constitutes terrorism, the U.N. particularly struggles with identifying groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis as terrorists. "If something really dramatic happens, then often a group will find it is being accused of being a terrorist group," Fitton-Brown said, noting how the U.N. condemned the Houthis in the aftermath of their 2022 attack on Abu Dhabi airport but failed to designate them as a terror group. "On Hezbollah, the U.N. has been hopelessly weak," he explained. He said that Hamas was "a good example of where the absence of a definition is problematic because you get something like the 10/7 attack…and the U.N. just completely failed in its response to that, and that is partly because of its failure to judge that a group that adopts terrorist tactics is a terrorist group." Bayefsky said that the U.N. Security Council "has never condemned Hamas for October 7th because they can't agree on what counts as terrorism. That isn't a success story. It's a malevolent dereliction of duty." Among the Action Plan's proposals are the implementation of training modules to help staff "recognize and understand antisemitism," and the requirement that senior U.N. officials "continue to denounce antisemitic manifestations as and when they occur." Bayefsky questioned the implementation of these plans. "The U.N. says it is committed to educating U.N. staff about antisemitism without knowing what counts as antisemitism. Any actual educator gives that lesson plan an 'F,'" she explained. Israel Bans Un Secretary-general Over Anti-israel Actions: 'Doesn't Deserve To Set Foot On Israeli Soil' From the highest levels, Bayefsky claimed that the world body is not currently standing up against anti-Jewish prejudice. Though U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the world on International Holocaust Remembrance Day that "we must condemn antisemitism wherever and whenever it appears," Bayefsky said that "if the when and the who are inside the U.N., [Guterres is] not only sitting down, he goes mute." "Take the cases of U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and U.N. Commission of Inquiry head Navi Pillay, both widely condemned for egregious antisemitic behavior," Bayefsky claimed. "The Secretary-General claims their 'independence' leaves him impotent. Nothing prevents him from using his platform to speak out about right and wrong. He's mute by choice." Fox News Digital asked Saad whether the Action Plan would allow for the U.N. to make critical comments when special rapporteurs make antisemitic remarks in the name of the institution. "Special Procedure Mandate Holders/Special Rapporteurs are independent human rights experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council," Saad responded. "They act in an individual capacity, and exercise their functions in accordance with their mandate, through a professional, impartial assessment of facts based on internationally recognized human rights standards. The views expressed by special procedures mandate holders remain those of the mandate holder and may not represent positions held [by] the wider United Nations system." Fox News Digital asked Farhan Haq, spokesperson for Guterres, whether the Action Plan would allow him to comment on antisemitism emanating from the U.N., including from its special rapporteurs. "The Secretary-General has no authority over the independent experts who report to the Human Rights Council, and he does not comment on their activities or remarks," Haq said. "But the UNAOC plan is designed to educate U.N. staff about antisemitism." Bayefsky said that the U.N. "can't combat antisemitism without acknowledging its guilt and starting with 'mea culpa.'" Neither Navi Pillay nor Francesca Albanese responded to Fox News Digital questions concerning the allegations of antisemitism leveled against them. Original article source: Experts slam UN action plan for combating antisemitism: 'phony exercise in futility'
