Israel Launches Campaign Accusing UN of Systemic Bias

Israel's Ministry of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism has launched an international campaign accusing United Nations bodies of systematic bias against Israel and misrepresenting information regarding the war in Gaza. The campaign coincides with the opening of the UN General Assembly's general debate in New York next week.

A dedicated website has been created as part of the campaign, featuring publications and statements from UN entities following the Hamas attack on October 7th. The project's creators allege that in several instances, data from Hamas-affiliated sources was cited by UN bodies and subsequently disseminated as the organization's own information without clear attribution to the original source.

Specific sections of the website address reports of famine in Gaza, the activities of UNRWA, and accusations of genocide against Israel. The site also includes testimonies from current and former UN employees who claim to have faced internal pressure. Former UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, stated she experienced constant pressure after refusing to label the events in Gaza as genocide before a court ruling. "I was harassed and persecuted every day... This did not happen in any other war, not in Ukraine, not in Sudan, not in Myanmar," the website quotes her as saying.

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, also reportedly faced attempts by colleagues to prevent the publication of her letter concerning Hamas's October 7th crimes. According to Edwards, she was pressured for weeks to withhold the document. The Israeli ministry stated the campaign will primarily target the United States, with journalists, diplomats, and policymakers as its intended audience.