FIRST ON FOX — The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) abruptly cut off a video statement when the speaker, Anne Bayefsky, mentioned the fate of Ariel and Kfir Bibas.
This incident occurred during an “Interactive Dialogue” concerning the UNHRC’s consideration of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s report on “the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the obligation to ensure accountability and justice.”
During these “Interactive Dialogue” sessions, experts are allowed to address the council on human rights issues discussed during the regular session.
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Anne Bayefsky, Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, reported that her video statement was cut off after just a few seconds. U.N. Human Rights Council President Jürg Lauber intervened, stating that Bayefsky had used inappropriate language.
Bayefsky began her statement with, “The world now knows Palestinian savages murdered 9-month-old baby Kfir,” before being interrupted by Lauber.
“Sorry, I have to interrupt,” Lauber said as Bayefsky’s video was paused. While he briefly objected to the language used, he allowed the video to continue for a few more seconds before shutting it off entirely. Lauber emphasized that “the language that’s used by the speaker cannot be tolerated,” adding that it “exceeds clearly the limits of tolerance and respect.”
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In an exclusive comment to Fox News Digital, Bayefsky mentioned that U.N.-accredited NGOs are required to submit transcripts and videos one day in advance of the “Interactive Dialogue.” She believes that the U.N. “stage managed” the incident, as the council had prior access to her video and transcript.
U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Spokesperson Pascal Sim did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Bayefsky’s allegations.
“It’s a total farce. There is no free speech at the U.N. for any NGO that calls out U.N. antisemitism. This is not harmless censorship. This is a war that the U.N. has declared against Jews, against Americans, and against free speech,” Bayefsky told Fox News Digital.
Bayefsky explained that she started her video this way because she had 1 minute and 30 seconds to address the council and wanted to “get right to the point.”
“The actual horrors of the extermination of the Bibas babies by Palestinians was off limits, and highlighting the UN’s responsibility for their murder and torture was deemed ‘inappropriate,’” Bayefsky stated.
She also suggested that another part of her video may have contributed to the censorship.
“What U.N. officials knew, and the audience didn’t, was that in my statement I demanded accountability for High Commissioner Türk himself – one of the world’s primary drivers of Palestinian terrorism and antisemitism on a global scale,” Bayefsky noted.
In a transcript of the blocked video shared with Fox News Digital, Bayefsky referred to Türk as a “High Commissioner for Human Wrongs” and accused him of having “the blood of Jewish innocents on his hands.”
Critics, including Bayefsky, have condemned Türk for a statement issued on Oct. 7, 2023, which appeared to equate Hamas’ attacks with Israel’s response. In that statement, Türk expressed being “shocked and appalled” by the violent attacks but proceeded to condemn Israel.
In response to Fox News Digital’s inquiry about Bayefsky’s video being cut off, Sim stated that “the words of the President of the Human Rights Council speak for themselves.”
During the same hearing, representatives from Qatar were allowed to accuse Israel of being a “torturer,” committing “collective punishment,” and attempting to “impose Judaism” in the West Bank and Gaza without interruption or evidence. Furthermore, multiple speakers were permitted to accuse Israel of carrying out genocide without any objection from Lauber.
Additionally, Defense for Children International, described as a “local Palestinian child rights organization,” claimed that “Israeli soldiers know that they can kill Palestinian children with impunity and not face any professional or legal consequences.” No evidence was presented, and the council did not object to these claims.
“We know exactly why I was censored by understanding what the UN did not censor during this very same ‘dialogue,’” Bayefsky told Fox News Digital. “There was no censorship, no cut microphones, no problem saying Israel was committing ‘genocide against Palestinians’… The blood libels and incitement to hate and more violence were voluminous. And that was all just fine with the U.N.”
Bayefsky asserts that it is time for the U.S. to cut off funding to the OHCHR.
While President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order prohibiting U.S. participation in the UNHRC, it did not address funding to the OHCHR, Bayefsky clarified.
“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.”
