US bill seeks to shut down UN inquiry on Israel

A US congressional bill seeking to shut down the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Palestine has been gaining ground in the past month, as more House members sign on.

The bill, called the COI Elimination Act, which currently has more than 30 signatories, is seeking "the abolition of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel."

The bill also seeks the abolition of other UN groups and to restrict US funding to the UN, due to what it refers to as "anti-Israel bias".

The UN's COI report came out following the May 2021 Israeli assault on Gaza and East Jerusalem, with the aim of investigating human rights violations in the conflict.

Last year's assault made international headlines, with many news outlets highlighting the Israeli military's destruction in Gaza, including schools, hospitals, residential complexes, as well as a building housing the Associated Press and Al Jazeera.

Despite this widespread coverage, the US State Department issued a statement describing the report as biased, saying, "Israel is the only country subject to a standing agenda item at the HRC and has received disproportionate focus at the HRC compared to human rights situations elsewhere in the world."

AIPAC has been lobbying on Capitol Hill this week, including for more congress members' support for the COI Elimination ACT, according to Jewish Insider.