Countering Anti-Semitism and Anti-Israel Activities at the United Nations Act of 2017

Countering Anti-Semitism and Anti-Israel Activities at the United Nations Act of 2017

This bill requires the President to direct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (U.N.) to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to work toward reducing anti-Semitism in the U.N., including among its employees and its specialized agencies, programs, and funds.

The bill withholds funding for:

• the U.N. and affiliated agencies until the President certifies that no U.N. agency or affiliated agency grants any official status, accreditation, or recognition to an organization that promotes or condones anti-Semitism; and
• the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for programs in the West Bank and Gaza until the Department of State certifies that no official, employee, consultant, contractor, representative, or affiliate of UNRWA is a member of Hamas or any U.S.-designated terrorist group and that no UNRWA school, hospital, facility, or resource is being used by Hamas or an affiliated group.

The bill reduces funding for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and prohibits the United States from running for a seat on UNHRC until the State Department certifies that UNHRC does not include a permanent item related to Israel or the Palestinian territories.

The bill states that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) reject the premise in U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334 that Israel's establishment of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 constitutes a violation of international law, and (2) prohibit U.S. funding for any U.N. entity that attempts to enforce resolution 2334.

The bill requires reports on: (1) U.S. contributions to countries seeking to implement resolution 2334, (2) U.N. voting practices, and (3) anti-Semitic and anti-Israel activity at the U.N.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov