Bipartisan legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday would cut American funding for the United Nations if it expels Israel.
H.R. 7018, informally named the Stand with Israel Act of 2025, would target any U.N. agency that carries out such an action. It has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Calls for Israel’s expulsion have increased among opponents of Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the terrorist group’s attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Malaysia announced in November that it would draft such a proposal.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), the bill’s lead sponsor, noted that “Israel is one of America’s strongest partners across the world.”
“The U.N. has a responsibility to uphold its own rules, not bend them to appease extremists or reward antisemitism,” Lawler stated. “The United States should not bankroll institutions that engage in discriminatory and unlawful actions against our allies.”
No nation has ever been expelled from the United Nations, although Arab states tried to take such action against Israel in 1982. They dropped the bid due to a lack of support. At the time, then-U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz cited existing American policy to withhold its dues in response to such actions.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), co-sponsor of the legislation, said the United States would not sit idly this time either.
“International organizations should not be allowed to ignore their own rules to single out Israel, one of our closest allies,” Moskowitz stated. “The Stand with Israel Act makes clear that American taxpayer dollars will not be used to support or legitimize unlawful actions that target Israel. International institutions must follow their own rules.”
