Washington warns UN of funding cuts over persistent anti-Israel bias

The United States has warned the UN that it will cut the organization’s funding by 10% unless various UN agencies “take credible steps to combat anti-Israel bias.” For many years, the United Nations has systematically passed more resolutions against Israel than all other states combined, including human rights violators such as Iran, Syria, Russia, China, Libya and North Korea.

Washington has specifically blocked funds to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) until U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio assesses that it has taken concrete steps toward ending its institutionalized bias against Israel.

For instance, when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the HRC passed four resolutions against Israel compared to only one against Russia, despite Moscow’s severe human rights violations in Ukraine.

The new funding package stipulates that Rubio must submit a report on UN Human Rights Council resolutions by Sept. 30, 2026. The purpose of the report is to assess whether the UN body is making progress in eliminating its anti-Israel bias.

The U.S. is also ending funds to the anti-Israel UN International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel. Furthermore, Washington’s funding report also demands documented evidence of the appropriate use of travel funds for UN officials.

The Trump administration also announced in its nearly 500-page funding package for 2026 that it would freeze funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA) if the Ramallah-based government were to initiate a judicially authorized International Criminal Court (ICC) probe into Israeli citizens over alleged crimes in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, internationally known as the West Bank.

The new U.S. funding mechanism also prohibits funding to PA personnel in Gaza or to members of the terrorist organization Hamas. The Hamas charter openly calls for Israel’s destruction and the murder of Jews worldwide. The new funding package further bars funding for the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which is headed by the PA chairman, Mahmoud Abbas.

Washington’s new funding structure stipulates that any assistance to a potential future Palestinian state requires Rubio's approval, who will need to determine that such an entity is committed to a peaceful coexistence with the State of Israel.

While the PA has officially signed a peace agreement with Israel, it remains politically and ideologically opposed to Israel's very existence. PA media and officials regularly praise terrorism against Israel and embrace hatred against Jews.

This week, Congressmen Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) introduced the Stand with Israel Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill that seeks to ensure that Washington does not fund the UN if it decides to expel Israel illegally.

“Israel is one of America’s strongest partners across the world. The UN has a responsibility to uphold its own rules, not bend them to appease extremists or reward antisemitism. The US should not bankroll institutions that engage in discriminatory and unlawful actions against our allies,” Lawler stated.

Moskowitz explained that the UN and other international organizations should not be allowed to continue their practice of double standards against Israel.

“International organizations should not be allowed to ignore its own rules to single out Israel, one of our closest allies. The Stand with Israel Act makes clear that American taxpayer dollars will not be used to support or legitimize unlawful actions that target Israel. International institutions must follow their own rules,” he said.