Trump takes aim at UN agencies he calls 'anti-American'
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at UN agencies that his administration considers to be anti-American. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The US president has ordered the withdrawal of the United States from the Human Rights Council and suspended financial support for the Palestinian refugee agency.
US President Donald Trump has enacted measures against UN agencies that his administration alleges demonstrate an anti-American bias and promote “anti-Semitism,” as outlined in an executive order signed on Tuesday. This decision coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, DC.
Trump has mandated the departure of the US from the UN Human Rights Council and has halted funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Additionally, he has instructed the State Department to review US involvement with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The three entities are said to have strayed from the UN’s fundamental goal of fostering peace, instead “act contrary to the interests of the United States while attacking our allies and propagating anti-Semitism,” according to the executive order.
West Jerusalem has accused the UNHRC and UNESCO of demonstrating anti-Israeli bias in their handling of issues concerning Palestinian rights and cultural heritage. Further claims have been made that UNRWA employees participated in the surprise attack carried out by the Palestinian group Hamas in October 2023, which prompted Israel to launch a 15-month military operation currently paused under a UN-brokered ceasefire.
The UNRWA, founded in 1949 to assist Palestinians displaced by the Arab-Israeli conflict, has refuted these accusations. Trump’s order asserts that the UNRWA has been “infiltrated” by terrorists and reinforces Israeli allegations regarding the agency’s involvement in the Hamas incursion.
During a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump remarked that the UN has “tremendous potential” that deserves continued US support, so long as its leaders “get their act together.” He emphasized that the UN must be “fair to countries that deserve fairness,” though he did not specify any countries. Trump also stated that the US contributes disproportionately to the UN budget, which is primarily funded by member states based on their gross national incomes.
The first Trump administration previously withdrew the US from the UNHRC and cut funding to the UNRWA in 2018. However, President Joe Biden reversed these decisions during his administration in 2021.
While appearing alongside Netanyahu on Tuesday, Trump proclaimed that the US will “take over” and “own” Gaza, aspiring to transform it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” He reiterated his belief that Palestinians should be permanently resettled elsewhere, a stance that critics argue could lead to the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian enclave.
The UN estimates that over 90% of homes in Gaza have been either destroyed or severely damaged due to the recent escalation in violence, resulting in the displacement of a significant portion of the local population, around 1.9 million people. On Monday, local authorities updated the death toll in the enclave to over 61,700, noting that they now presume thousands of missing individuals to be deceased.
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
US President Donald Trump has enacted measures against UN agencies that his administration alleges demonstrate an anti-American bias and promote “anti-Semitism,” as outlined in an executive order signed on Tuesday. This decision coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, DC.
Trump has mandated the departure of the US from the UN Human Rights Council and has halted funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Additionally, he has instructed the State Department to review US involvement with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The three entities are said to have strayed from the UN’s fundamental goal of fostering peace, instead “act contrary to the interests of the United States while attacking our allies and propagating anti-Semitism,” according to the executive order.
West Jerusalem has accused the UNHRC and UNESCO of demonstrating anti-Israeli bias in their handling of issues concerning Palestinian rights and cultural heritage. Further claims have been made that UNRWA employees participated in the surprise attack carried out by the Palestinian group Hamas in October 2023, which prompted Israel to launch a 15-month military operation currently paused under a UN-brokered ceasefire.
The UNRWA, founded in 1949 to assist Palestinians displaced by the Arab-Israeli conflict, has refuted these accusations. Trump’s order asserts that the UNRWA has been “infiltrated” by terrorists and reinforces Israeli allegations regarding the agency’s involvement in the Hamas incursion.
During a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump remarked that the UN has “tremendous potential” that deserves continued US support, so long as its leaders “get their act together.” He emphasized that the UN must be “fair to countries that deserve fairness,” though he did not specify any countries. Trump also stated that the US contributes disproportionately to the UN budget, which is primarily funded by member states based on their gross national incomes.
The first Trump administration previously withdrew the US from the UNHRC and cut funding to the UNRWA in 2018. However, President Joe Biden reversed these decisions during his administration in 2021.
While appearing alongside Netanyahu on Tuesday, Trump proclaimed that the US will “take over” and “own” Gaza, aspiring to transform it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” He reiterated his belief that Palestinians should be permanently resettled elsewhere, a stance that critics argue could lead to the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian enclave.
The UN estimates that over 90% of homes in Gaza have been either destroyed or severely damaged due to the recent escalation in violence, resulting in the displacement of a significant portion of the local population, around 1.9 million people. On Monday, local authorities updated the death toll in the enclave to over 61,700, noting that they now presume thousands of missing individuals to be deceased.
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
