UN Human Rights Head Steps Down Over Jerusalem Debacle

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'd al-Hussein has announced he will not be seeking a second four-year term just hours after condemning the recent actions of Israel and the United States regarding Palestine.

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"To do so, in the current geopolitical context, might involve bending a knee in supplication; muting a statement of advocacy; lessening the independence and integrity of my voice — which is your voice," al-Hussein said.  

The UN official had recently spoken out against every permanent member of the Security Council, both directly and indirectly.

He criticized the European Union for its "chilling indifference" towards refugees, and has repeatedly denounced U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban on Muslim-majority countries as "grossly irresponsible."

Al-Hussein has also denounced the lack of accountability for "human rights violations and abuses" in Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, along with China's persecution of human rights activists and lawyers. 

The Human Rights Commissioner is selected by the UN secretary general in order to secure independence from UN member states. However, Foreign Policy reports that Secretary General Antonio Guterres had specifically asked al-Hussein to tone down his criticism of the United States. 

On December 20, al-Hussein criticized Israel's lethal use of firearms and denounced the "wanton" killing of Ibrahim Abu Thurayyah, a double amputee, during clashes near the Gaza border.

He also stressed U.S. responsibility: "These events, including the loss of five irreplaceable lives, can sadly be traced directly back to the unilateral U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem, which breaks international consensus and was dangerously provocative." 

Hours after his statement, al-Hussein sent an e-mail to his staff informing them he had decided to step down when his term ends next summer.

During a press briefing on December 22, a UN spokesman attempted to downplay the "over-dramatization" of al-Hussein's decision: "There is nothing unusual at all in a UN high commissioner for human rights only serving one term. In fact, only two of the six High Commissioners so far have served more than four years."

Earlier this year, another senior UN official, Rima Khalaf, resigned after publishing a report stating that Israel imposes an "apartheid regime" on Palestinians.

The UN secretary general immediately distanced himself from the report after Israel condemned it as an "attempt to smear and falsely label the only true democracy in the Middle East." The report was quickly taken off the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia website.