The trump administration, via America's United Nations (U.N.) ambassador Nikki Haley, issued a formal notice that it would be reviewing America's participation in the U.N. Human Rights Council. At the same time, they also called on the body to reform what they are calling its "chronic anti-Israel bias."

The U.N. Human Right Council (UNHRC) was formed in 2006 as the successor to the U.N.

Commission on Human Rights. It is an inter-governmental body whose goal is to promote and protect human rights around the world. Members states on the UNHRC are elected to staggered three-year terms, with America's currently being from 2016 until 2019.

What did Nikki Haley say?

At yesterday's opening of a three-week session of the Geneva Council, U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley made the statement. According to MSN, she said, "The United States is looking carefully at this Council and our participation in it." She then mentioned how America sees some areas that can be "significantly strengthened", referring indirectly to the anti-Israel bias.

Haley did reiterate that the United States is committed to protecting human rights.

However, she criticized the Human Rights Council for adopting five "biased" resolutions on Israel and the Palestinian territory during their March session. She argued that the Council never even considered passing a resolution on Council member Venezuela for their human rights violations. Haley said that Venezuela should voluntarily step down and seriously address their issues. She also called for resolutions to be passed on Belarus, Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, and Ukraine.

The Human Rights Council and Israel

Since the U.N. Human Rights Council was formed back in 2006 it has taken a critical stance on Israel.

With the United States being Israel's main ally, this has long been a controversial issue between the two sides. In fact, the Council was boycotted under former President George W. Bush for three years (2006-09) because America argued that it is stacked with anti-Israel opponents. The U.S. rejoined in 2009, under former President Barack Obama.

The Council has taken strong positions against Israel's occupation of territories it seized during the 1967 Six-Day War, its treatment of Palestinians and the building of Jewish settlements in claimed Palestinian land. Most of the international bodies and countries on Earth consider those settlements to be illegal.