Two weeks into his second term, President Donald Trump is moving forward with major foreign policy changes, taking action against international organizations he argues have worked against U.S. interests.
Over the weekend, his administration took steps to restructure the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and now, Trump is preparing to withdraw the United States from the U.N. Human Rights Council while also cutting funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Breaking: Trump halts all funding to @UNRWA pic.twitter.com/yYbKKvJWEI
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) January 20, 2025
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The White House confirmed these plans in a fact sheet obtained by Politico, stating that the Human Rights Council “has not fulfilled its purpose and continues to be used as a protective body for countries committing horrific human rights violations.”
The administration also condemned the council’s repeated targeting of Israel, noting that in 2018—the year Trump first withdrew from the council—it had passed more resolutions condemning Israel than Syria, Iran, and North Korea combined.
The move comes as Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack.
UNRWA has been at the center of controversy due to allegations that its staff had ties to Hamas and that its facilities had been used for terrorist operations.
UNRWA, which provides aid to Palestinian refugees, has long been accused of collaborating with Hamas.
According to Politico, the U.N. agency is the primary provider of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, but it fired several employees last summer following an internal investigation that found some staff may have been involved in the October 7 attack on Israel.
Israeli officials have presented further evidence linking UNRWA to Hamas operations. Former hostages have testified that they were held captive by Hamas in UNRWA-run facilities.
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One British-Israeli hostage, Emily Damari, told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that she had been held in a UNRWA building, where she was denied proper medical care after losing two fingers and suffering a leg injury during her abduction.
Israeli military reports have also detailed how UNRWA schools and offices have been used to store weapons and shield Hamas tunnels. On October 17, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed along with his two bodyguards, both of whom were UNRWA employees.
While former President Joe Biden temporarily suspended U.S. funding to UNRWA, Trump’s move would permanently cut off American financial support.
Trump’s decision to withdraw from the U.N. Human Rights Council aligns with actions taken during his first term, when he pulled the U.S. from the body in 2018.
The administration’s reasoning remains the same: the council has repeatedly targeted Israel while allowing human rights abusers like China to remain members.
President George W. Bush similarly refused to engage with the council, while Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden rejoined it, arguing that U.S. participation was necessary to influence its decisions.
After @realDonaldTrump cut funding to UNRWA, @JoeBiden restored it. UNRWA was later complicit in the murder of Americans & Israelis on 10/7. @RepStefanik, Trump’s nominee to be @USAmbUN, is the right person to ensure the U.S. protects its national interests at the UN. pic.twitter.com/oKyM8Nj9if
— Senator Bill Hagerty (@SenatorHagerty) January 22, 2025
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The Trump administration, however, views the council as fundamentally flawed and sees withdrawal as a way to delegitimize its actions.
He is also scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, where the two leaders are expected to discuss further coordination on security and regional policy.
With these moves, Trump is signaling a decisive break from the diplomatic approach of previous administrations, prioritizing a realignment of U.S. foreign policy that eliminates funding for organizations seen as working against American and Israeli interests.
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