“It is the policy of the United States to seek the abolition of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel; and combat systemic anti-Israel bias at the United Nations Human Rights Council and other international fora,” the bill reads.

Steube’s bill had 17 co-sponsors and was sent to the Foreign Affairs committee for further discussion before going to the General Assembly for a vote.

Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee of California called Steube’s first attempt to pass the bill an attempt to make the conflict a “wedge issue,” according to the Times.

“It’s not a constructive bipartisan proposal but rather an effort to make Israel a wedge issue,” Lee said.

In November 2022, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People that the Israeli occupation “must end.” In December 2022, United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who was appointed to the U.N. Human Rights Council to investigate Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, was heavily criticized after one of her Facebook posts was found to contain stereotypical antisemitic tropes, stating that the Jewish lobby “subjugated” the United States.