Israel says it will cut two million dollars from its UN dues in response to “anti-Israel” resolutions passed by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Foreign Ministry confirmed Thursday.
Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said the funds will be diverted to development projects in “friendly” countries.
The decision comes after the UNHRC on March 17, passed five resolutions condemning Israeli settlement activity and human rights violations in the Golan Heights.
Israel pays about 11 million dollars annually to the UN.
In January, Israel said it was cutting six million dollars from its annual dues in response to a UN Security Council resolution slamming Israeli settlement activity in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
UNHCR adopted five resolutions critical of Israel, in spite of opposition from the U.S. and an unprecedented critique from the UK.
The 47-member council passed the resolutions on alleged Israeli human rights abuses: a vote on “Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan” passed with 26 in favour, three against and 18 abstentions.
Members also passed a resolution called “Ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of International law in the Occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem” garnered 30 votes in favour, two against and 15 abstentions.
43 members voted for a resolution called “Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination,” while two voted against and two abstained; the resolution “Human Rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem garnered 41 votes in favour, two against and four abstentions.
The resolution condemning Israeli had 36 in favour, two against and nine abstentions.
