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Senate Republicans aim to defund U.N. agencies that penalize Israel

The Stand with Israel Act would cut U.S. funding to U.N. agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend or restrict Israeli participation

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Ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on April 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.

A group of more than 20 Senate Republicans led by Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) is set to introduce legislation on Wednesday that would strip U.S. funding from any United Nations agency that takes action to expel, downgrade, suspend or restrict Israel’s participation.

The Stand with Israel Act is co-sponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Lee (R-UT), James Lankford (R-OK), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), John Boozman (R-AR), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Barrasso (R-WY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Justice (R-WV), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Cornyn (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), Ashley Moody (R-FL) and Deb Fischer (R-NE).

“Israel is one of America’s greatest allies, and under President Trump’s Administration, we will no longer tolerate — much less fund — the blatant antisemitism at the United Nations. This bill will send a clear message to the UN and any other antisemitic international organizations: if you want America’s money, you’ll need to respect our Israeli friends,” Risch, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement. “America will always stand with Israel.”

The legislation mirrors current U.S. law that cuts off funding to any U.N. agency that recognizes the Palestinian Authority as a full member state. Bipartisan lawmakers backed legislation in the previous Congress that would close loopholes in that provision, penalizing any U.N. body that upgraded the PA’s status short of granting it recognition as a member state.

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