Empire State Today

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik has published an op-ed in the Washington Examiner, criticizing the United Nations for its handling of antisemitism and its response to Iran and Hamas. The op-ed coincides with the ongoing United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City.

Stefanik's article argues that higher education institutions are not alone in facing issues of antisemitism. She states, "The U.N. has proven again and again that it is a cesspool of antisemitism that has completely turned against Israel in its darkest hour."

Stefanik highlights a recent attack by Hamas on Israel, describing it as "the most vicious, brutal attack on Israel and the Jewish people since the Holocaust," which resulted in over 1,200 deaths. Despite these events, she asserts there is a failure within the U.N. system to hold Hamas or Iran accountable.

She points out several instances where U.N. agencies failed to act appropriately. For example, she notes that "The World Health Organization refused to acknowledge Hamas’s abuse of hospitals in Gaza as terrorist safe havens." She also criticizes U.N. Women for deleting a condemnation of Hamas after initially posting it.

Further criticisms include the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs revising death tolls based on information from Hamas-controlled sources and the Human Rights Council adopting resolutions against Israel while ignoring atrocities committed by Hamas.

Stefanik also calls out UNRWA for employing staff members involved in terrorist activities and criticizes U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for not condemning Hamas after recent murders.

According to Stefanik, these actions reflect a broader moral decline within the U.N., which she ties to policies from the Biden-Harris administration. She contrasts this with what she views as successful policies from the Trump administration, including moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and negotiating the Abraham Accords.

Stefanik concludes by urging more action against antisemitism within the U.N., restructuring budgetary processes, transforming human rights entities, and countering China's influence within the organization. She emphasizes that "the world is looking to the U.S. for moral leadership" and suggests that without significant reform, American taxpayer support for the U.N. should be reconsidered.