Florida Republican urges defunding UN Human Rights Council until it condemns Hamas

The bill already has several cosponsors, including Florida Democrat Rep Jared Moskowitz

UN Human Rights Council member ignores Israelis while addressing war

Israeli American Council CEO calls out the U.N. Human Rights Council member for refusing to acknowledge that Israelis are under attack

A Florida Republican congresswoman is introducing a bipartisan bill to strip the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) of taxpayer funding until the international body condemns the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., on Monday introduced the Stand With Israel Act to withhold U.S. funding to the UNHRC until a resolution is passed condemning Hamas after the group's deadly surprise terrorist attack on Israel on October 7.

"It should not be a heavy lift for the UN, which claims to promote global human rights, to pass a resolution condemning what will go down in history as one of the deadliest attacks against the Jewish people," Luna said in a press release exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.

CALLS FOR UN LEADER'S RESIGNATION INTENSIFY AFTER ‘SHAMEFUL’ COMMENTS ABOUT HAMAS ATTACKS ON ISRAEL

florida republican urges defunding un human rights council until it condemns hamas

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is introducing the Stand With Israel Act to withhold U.S. funding to the United Nations Human Rights Council until the body passes a resolution condemning Hamas after the group's deadly surprise terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. (Getty Images)

"The United States should not fund the UN Human Rights Council until it stops targeting our closest ally," Luna said. "The UN must unequivocally condemn Hamas’s utter disregard for human life and the terror they are inflicting on Israelis and the innocent Palestinians they use as human shields."

Luna said that until "this institution can defend objective human rights, not subjective ideological bias, it is a scourge to the values it claims to champion."

"The hypocrisy in all of this is while the UNHRC lectures Israel on defense, China (one of their HRC members) is actively putting Muslims in concentration camps," Luna said. "It’s time they save the world their virtue-signaling and we defund them."

The Stand With Israel Act prohibits taxpayer funds from going toward the UNHRC until both the U.N. Security Council and U.N. General Assembly adopt a clear resolution condemning the Palestinian terrorist organization.

florida republican urges defunding un human rights council until it condemns hamas

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna's bill has several co-sponsors, including Democrat Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz and Republican Reps. Brian Babin, Lance Gooden, and Randy Weber of Texas; Andy Biggs of Arizona; Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma; Eric Burleson of Missouri; John Curtis of Utah; Nicole Malliotakis and George Santos of New York; Mary Miller of Illinois; Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey; Andy Ogles of Tennessee; and Victoria Spartz of Indiana. (Fox News Digital/Elizabeth Elkind)

Luna's bill has several co-sponsors, including Democrat Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz and Republican Reps. Brian Babin, Lance Gooden, and Randy Weber of Texas; Andy Biggs of Arizona; Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma; Eric Burleson of Missouri; John Curtis of Utah; Nicole Malliotakis and George Santos of New York; Mary Miller of Illinois; Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey; Andy Ogles of Tennessee; and Victoria Spartz of Indiana.

florida republican urges defunding un human rights council until it condemns hamas

The Stand With Israel Act prohibits taxpayer funds from going toward the United Nations Human Rights Council until both the U.N. Security Council and U.N. General Assembly adopt a clear resolution condemning the Palestinian terrorist organization. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Luna's bill comes as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres faces calls to resign over a speech that critics said rationalized Hamas' actions.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan on Tuesday urged Guterres to resign, ripping into the U.N. secretary-general for ostensibly rationalizing Hamas’ murder of 1,400, including Americans, Oct. 7 in Israel.

florida republican urges defunding un human rights council until it condemns hamas

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna's bill comes as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres faces calls to resign over his speech that seemed to rationalize Hamas' murder of 1,400 people.

Guterres responded to the criticism against him by noting in a statement outside the U.N. Security Council, "I am shocked by the misrepresentations by some of my statements yesterday in the Security Council. As if… as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas. This is false. It was the opposite."

The U.N. has long faced accusations of antisemitism. 

In 1975, a majority of U.N. member states passed a resolution equating the founding philosophy of the state of Israel — Zionism — with racism. Member states overturned the resolution in 1991, but critics say it damaged the reputation of the Middle East’s only democratic state, Israel. 

Fox News Digital's Benjamin Weinthal contributed reporting.

Houston Keene is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.  Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @HoustonKeene 

Authored by Houston Keene,Thomas Phippen via FoxNews October 31st 2023