The council's critical stance of Israel has long been a contentious issue for the United States, Israel's main ally. The UN human rights chief on Tuesday decried over 2,000 years of Jewish suffering culminating in the "colossal crime" of the Holocaust. Haley said the United States was dedicated to protecting human rights, which are closely linked to peace and security. "If Venezuela cannot, it should voluntarily step down from its seat on the Human Rights Council until it can get its own house in order. "It's hard to take Ambassador Haley seriously on U.S. support for human rights in light of Trump administration actions like the Muslim ban and immigration crackdowns," Jamil Dakwar, director of the human rights program at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told Reuters.

Source: CBC News June 06, 2017 13:41 UTC