--- title: Nikki Haley: U.S. May Quit U.N. Rights Council Over Israel description: The U.S. may withdraw from the U.N. Human Rights Council, pending reforms to policies such as a perceived "anti-Israel bias" among members canonical: https://time.com/4806801/nikki-haley-human-rights-council-israel/ author: Ryan Kilpatrick article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-06T09:50:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:16.269Z article:section: Politics og:title: United States May Withdraw From U.N. Human Rights Council og:description: Ambassador Haley says the council must stop "singling out Israel" og:url: https://time.com/4806801/nikki-haley-human-rights-council-israel/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0c7b8feec16071e7/6988d04ae76ad2a17862dc29/gettyimages-664196400.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4559 og:image:height: 2564 og:image:alt: US Ambassador To The UN Nikki Haley Holds News Conference At The United Nations og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: United States May Withdraw From U.N. Human Rights Council twitter:description: Ambassador Haley says the council must stop "singling out Israel" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0c7b8feec16071e7/6988d04ae76ad2a17862dc29/gettyimages-664196400.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The U.S. May Leave the U.N. Human Rights Council Over 'Anti-Israel Bias' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Nikki Haley Defends U.S. Airstrikes On Syria [Watch (HLS stream): Nikki Haley Defends U.S. Airstrikes On Syria](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/6s9hgj0U.m3u8) (1:22)  _Published 2017-04-07. United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley defended the United States' decision to conduct unilateral airstrikes against Syria in a meeting of the United Nations Security Council._ by [Ryan Kilpatrick](https://time.com/author/ryan-kilpatrick/) ## Ryan Kilpatrick Jun 6, 2017 9:50 AM UTC  U.S. Ambassador to the United Nation Nikki Haley at the United Nations headquarters on April 3, 2017. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nation Nikki Haley at the United Nations headquarters on April 3, 2017. Drew Angerer—Getty Images by [Ryan Kilpatrick](https://time.com/author/ryan-kilpatrick/) ## Ryan Kilpatrick Jun 6, 2017 9:50 AM UTC The U.S. is expected to announce Tuesday that it may withdraw from the U.N. Human Rights Council, pending reforms to policies and removing what Washington views as a perceived “anti-Israel bias” among member states. Reuters [reports ](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-un-rights-idUSKBN18W173)that diplomats and activists are expecting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley to deliver an ultimatum when she addresses members in Geneva for a three-week session. Haley has recently ramped up her criticism of the council, [warning](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-un-human-rights-council-whitewashes-brutality/2017/06/02/c3757c2a-46e6-11e7-a196-a1bb629f64cb%5Fstory.html?utm%5Fterm=.0cac337520fe) in an opinion column published in the Washington _Post_ last week that she will “outline changes that must be made.” Haley accused the council of “whitewashing brutality” by welcoming countries such as Venezuela and Cuba as members, though she did not mention the inclusion of other alleged rights violators such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, both U.S. allies. The Ambassador also said the council must “end its practice of wrongly singling out Israel for criticism.” “When the council passes more than 70 resolutions against Israel,” Haley wrote, “and just seven resolutions against Iran \[…\] you know something is seriously wrong.” The administration of President Donald Trump is not the first to criticize the council for its focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Former President George W. Bush boycotted the council in 2007, and the U.S. was later brought back into the fold when Barack Obama assumed office in 2009. The possibility of a U.S. exit from the council has alarmed human rights groups, including those with links to Israel. Reuters reports that a letter written to Haley in May from eight independent groups, including Freedom House and the Jacob Blaustein Institute, warned that a U.S. exit might make Israel more vulnerable to targeting by other members. \[[_Reuters_](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-un-rights-idUSKBN18W173)\] ## Transcript Tuesday, the Assad regime launched yet another chemical attack on civilians. Murdering innocent, men, women, and children in the most gruesome way. Assad did this because he thought he could get away with it. He thought he could get away with it because he knew Russia would have his back That changed last night. The United States will not standby when chemical weapons are used. It is in our vital national security interest to prevent the spread and use of chemical weapons. Our military destroyed the airfield from which this week chemical strike took place. We were fully justified in doing so. The world is waiting for the Russian government to act responsibly in Syria. The world is waiting for Russia to reconsider its misplaced alliance with Bashar Assad. The United States will no longer wait for Assad to use chemical weapons without any consequences. Those days are over. The United States took a very measured step last night. We are prepared to do more but we hope that will not be necessary. It is time for all civilised nations to stop the horrors that are taking place in Syria and demand a political solution ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4806801/nikki-haley-human-rights-council-israel/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4806801/nikki-haley-human-rights-council-israel/"},"headline":"The U.S. May Leave the U.N. 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