GOOD NEWS: Miloon Kothari, a longtime UN investigator who said that “the Jewish lobby” controls social media, has just been rejected for a new role at the United Nations, thanks to a relentless advocacy campaign led by UN Watch.
For over four years, from 2021 until several months ago, Kothari was a member of the UN Human Rights Council’s infamous Pillay Commission — the perpetual inquiry targeting Israel.
Most famously, Kothari and the other two members of the commission issued a report accusing Israel of “genocide” — a baseless conclusion that continues to be cited worldwide.
During his tenure, in July 2022, Kothari gave an interview where he ranted about the “Jewish lobby” controlling social media. Thanks to UN Watch, he was condemned for antisemitism by 17 countries, and even by the UN itself.
In June 2023, Kothari gave a speech at the UNHRC complaining that the media was too pro-Israel. He cited “biased reporting of the BBC, the New York Times, Washington Post, and there are many others almost verging towards fake news.”
This summer, after the U.S. imposed sanctions on UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, the entire membership of the Pillay inquiry announced their resignations.
Kothari’s Deal To Exchange Posts
However, in his resignation letter, Kothari cited an “understanding” reached with the UN. Apparently, in exchange for his departure from the inquiry, he was promised a new UN role.
Indeed, in January, a Turkish-chaired UNHRC panel selected Kothari as its top candidate to become the next UN expert on poverty, despite his clear lack of any relevant experience.
In nearly all cases, those chosen by the vetting panel are then appointed by the Council. However, UN Watch caught wind of the scheme and sounded the alarm. UN Watch urged democracies to intervene and end Kothari’s UN tenure once and for all.
Beyond his bias, argued UN Watch, Kothari exemplifies a pattern of UN cronyism, having rotated through multiple unrelated positions over more than a decade.
UN Watch also recalled the incident in 2002, while Kothari was serving as the UN’s special rapporteur on housing. He had requested a visa to visit Israel in a strictly personal capacity — only to later submit an official report against Israel as a result of that supposedly “personal” visit. Kothari’s conduct violated the working methods of the UNHRC’s mechanisms, and raised serious legal and ethical issues.
Pressure Mounts — Kothari Rejected
In wake of UN Watch’s campaign against Kothari’s bid for reappointment, pressure mounted. On March 2nd, the new UNHRC president took the rare step of rejecting the panel’s recommendation of Kothari.
The denial of Kothari’s application was made official yesterday when the 47-member Council elected an alternative candidate by acclamation.
This outcome marks a rare but important victory for accountability at the United Nations. A backroom arrangement was exposed, pressure was applied, and the system was forced to correct itself.
It sends a clear signal: those who promote antisemitism and abuse UN mandates can be challenged — and stopped.
GOOD NEWS: Miloon Kothari—the former UN investigator who was condemned for antisemitism by 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧🇦🇺🇨🇿🇩🇪🇳🇱🇫🇷🇮🇹🇦🇹🇧🇪🇨🇭🇸🇪🇳🇴🇩🇰🇧🇷🇭🇺 —has just been blocked from his bid to become a UN Special Rapporteur for the next 6 years. UN Watch led a campaign exposing Kothari's bigotry and bias. https://t.co/c6jU2xi0Ql
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) March 31, 2026
