'A bullying atmosphere': UN's Israel obsession sidelines atrocities elsewhere, ex-UN official says

Former UN special rapporteur on torture Alice Jill Edwards tells the Jerusalem Post that the UN is 'obsessed' with Israel while ignoring atrocities in Sudan, Yemen, and the DRC. She says colleagues deliberately failed to investigate Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks and describes a 'bullying atmosphere' that softens language critical of Israel's adversaries.

Former UN special rapporteur on torture Dr. Alice Jill Edwards, in an interview with the Jerusalem Post, accuses the United Nations of an 'obsession' with Israel that sidelines atrocities elsewhere. Edwards, who served from 2022 to 2026, describes a 'bullying atmosphere' within the organization and says colleagues deliberately failed to investigate Hamas's October 7, 2023 massacre. She notes that while there have been numerous reports on Israel's actions, there was still no UN investigation or report on the October 7 attacks by two of her colleagues three years on. Edwards cites figures: approximately 50 UN communications concerning Israel since October 7, compared with around 10 concerning Sudan. She also points to 90,000 documented rapes in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the past year. Edwards describes efforts by colleagues to water down language in communications about October 7 and to prevent other officials from endorsing them. She argues that the same standards should apply when victims are Israeli and perpetrators are Hamas.