UN Human Rights Council Censors American Speaker, Citing 'Disrespectful Language' – But What's Really Going On?

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) abruptly halted a video statement by Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, when she mentioned Ariel and Kfir Bibas, who were victims of Palestinian violence. The incident occurred during an "Interactive Dialogue" concerning a report by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Bayefsky's video was cut off moments after she began, with UNHRC President Jürg Lauber objecting to her "language." Bayefsky started by stating, "The world now knows Palestinian savages murdered 9-month-old baby Kfir," before Lauber paused the video, stating the language was inappropriate. He allowed it to continue briefly before shutting it off entirely, reiterating that the language exceeded the limits of tolerance and respect. According to Bayefsky, U.N.-accredited NGOs must submit transcripts and videos a day before the "Interactive Dialogue." She believes the U.N. "stage managed" the incident, as they had prior access to her video and transcript. "It's a total farce. There is no free speech at the U.N. for any NGO that calls out U.N. antisemitism," Bayefsky told Fox News Digital. "This is not harmless censorship. This is a war that the U.N. has declared against Jews, against Americans, and against free speech." Bayefsky explained that she started her video this way to "get right to the point" within her allotted 1 minute and 30 seconds. She believes the censorship was due to her pointing out U.N. responsibility and the "actual horrors of the extermination of the Bibas babies by Palestinians". She also suggested that her criticism of High Commissioner Türk, whom she calls a "High Commissioner for Human Wrongs" with "the blood of Jewish innocents on his hands," may have contributed to the censorship. Türk has faced criticism for a statement on Oct. 7, 2023, that appeared to equate Hamas’ attacks with Israel’s response. U.N. Human Rights Council spokesperson Pascal Sim stated that the video was interrupted because the language "exceeded the limits of tolerance and respect." However, he maintained that the council encourages a wide range of views and applies clear rules regarding the form and language of interventions. During the same hearing, Qatar was allowed to accuse Israel of being a "torturer," using "collective punishment," and attempting "to impose Judaism" in the West Bank and Gaza without evidence or interruption. Multiple speakers also accused Israel of carrying out a genocide, also with no objection from Lauber. Additionally, Defense for Children International claimed that "Israeli soldiers know that they can kill Palestinian children with impunity." Bayefsky argues that the U.S. should cut off funding to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). She noted that while President Donald Trump prohibited U.S. participation in UNHRC, he did not address funding to OHCHR. "The bulk of American funding for the U.N. in this context is for Türk and his kingdom at the ‘U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’… If ever Americans needed one more reason not to pay another cent for U.N.-driven lethal antisemitism, this is it."