I have recently received a number of e-mails regarding the treatment of Israel by the United Nations.
The Government is proud of the role that the UK played in the creation of Israel. I am encouraged that, following an invitation from the Prime Minister, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will be visiting the UK on the centenary of the Balfour declaration. The UK remains committed to a peaceful resolution in the region and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
I am aware that there have been a number of country-specific resolutions passed regarding Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. I understand the UK Government has already warned the UN Human Rights Council over its disproportionate bias against Israel. The UK mission asserted that an “unacceptable pattern of bias” only served to make the goal of a peaceful two-state solution harder to achieve; a goal we share with the majority of the wider international community.
I am also pleased that the UK co-hosted a meeting on reform of the UN Human Rights Council during the recent UN General Assembly, where it was agreed that reform is urgently needed to ensure that the Council’s status as a respected advocate for human rights is secured.
Thank you for contacting me on this important issue.