Some weeks it seems the Action Update might amount to little more than a synopsis of world leaders’ worst decisions and world pariahs’ worst actions taken during the past 7 days. This week, we admit, may feel a bit like that, but bear with us. Knowledge is power and if you have the full picture, when we see each other in Washington for the CUFI Summit, you and CUFI will be that much more effective when meeting with your elected officials.

The UN Hates Israel

As many readers will recall, way back in the spring of 2021, the UN Human Rights Council (which boasts amongst its ranks bastions of liberal democracy like China, Somalia and Qatar) decided to “urgently establish an ongoing, independent, international commission of inquiry to investigate, in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up to and since 13 April 2021.”

Predictably, this “commission of inquiry” (COI) is being led by intellectually dishonest Israel-haters with a long and well documented history of animosity towards the Jewish state. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the COI recently released a report that claims to examine “attacks, restrictions and harassment of civil-society actors,” by Israel.

The COI’s report attacks the IHRA definition of antisemitism, demonizes Israel for proscribing nongovernmental organizations with direct links to terror, and expresses support for the antisemitic BDS campaign while condemning those (of us) who’ve advanced anti-BDS legislation.

In short, the COI’s latest report is a piece of transparent anti-Israel propaganda that, in part, seems to have been prompted by successes we and our allies have had at defeating the BDS movement. Disgusting as this may be, don’t worry, it all gets worse.

The Biden Administration’s UN Addiction

We all like to think that the UN is the apotheosis of geo-political enlightenment. Within its hallowed halls, we want to believe, wars are being avoided as elder statesmen set aside humanities most violent inclinations and elect to resolve their differences over a cup of tea. The truth, however, is that the UN is often used by autocrats and malign powers to throw elbows at the U.S. and her allies while bullying smaller countries around the world to go along for the ride.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a perfect example of an organization that was a good idea and has now been hijacked by those seeking to engage in immoral international gamesmanship. And since it’s a UN agency, it devotes a decent chunk of time to attacking Israel.

In 2011, UNESCO admitted “Palestine” as a full member state which, under U.S. law, compelled Washington to end funding for the UN agency. Six years later, the U.S. and Israel announced they would be leaving UNESCO because the agency was fixated on Israel and had advanced measures denying the Jewish connection to various holy sites in the Holy Land, including the Temple Mount and the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

Fast forward to today and the Biden administration, we’ve learned, has been talking to UNESCO about having the U.S. rejoin the agency despite there being no indication they’ve changed their vile attitude towards the Jewish state.

Iranian Drones Again

That the Biden administration is making nice with a UN agency just as the UN’s COI released the diplomatic equivalent of a libelous, anti-Israel hit piece is appalling. Such actions only embolden Western adversaries, and the consequences have wide ranging effects.   

The Biden administration’s weak approach to the UN adds to the already ingrained perception in Tehran (and elsewhere around the world) that under President Biden, the U.S. is a paper tiger. 

Case in point: Despite the world knowing full well that Iran is providing key support to Russia in the latter’s war on the people of Ukraine, Iran is behaving as if it is patently unafraid of a Western reaction to aiding Moscow. In fact, Tehran is once again increasing its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine and deepening ties with both Moscow and Beijing.

First, U.S. intelligence seems confident that Iran is working with Moscow to build an attack-drone manufacturing plant inside Russia. White House National Security Council spokesperson recently referred to the Russian-Iranian alliance as “a full-scale defense partnership.”

In addition, we’ve learned that China is supplying Iran with parts for the drones. This speeds up the process by which Russia can acquire them and target innocent Ukrainians. How does this concern Israel? Iran is using Ukraine as a proving ground to better their drone technology and Russia and China to increase the reliability of their drone supply chain – with one target in mind: Israel.

At first glance, the stories in today’s Update, from the COI to UNESCO to the Russia-China-Iran alliance, may seem disparate, but one needs to take a broad worldview. American weakness, anywhere, on any important issue, empowers our adversaries. And can you blame them? If we refuse to standup to a bunch of unelected autocratic mouthpieces at the UN, why should Moscow, Beijing and Tehran believe we’ll ever really stand up to them?

Well, CUFI will be standing up to them in less than five weeks when we convene in Washington to make our voices heard in our nation’s capital. There are a lot of policies that need to be addressed, and make no mistake, your presence in Washington is precisely what is needed to maximize the likelihood our country lives up to the moniker leader of the free world.

Sincerely,

The CUFI Action Fund Team