The United Nation Human Rights Council in Geneva voted March 23 and 24 in favor of four resolutions targeting Israel. Such resolutions have been approved annually for years and traditionally include condemnation of Israeli activities in Palestinian territories and call for Palestinian rights of self-determination.

On March 23, the rights council approved a resolution that not only condemned Israel "the Occupier’’ but also called for an arms embargo against it. Titled "Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the obligation to ensure accountability and justice,’’ this Agenda Item 2 resolution was supported by 32 countries and opposed by six, with eight abstentions.

Three resolutions came under Agenda Item 7, "Israeli settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Occupied Syrian Golan,’’ the only annual rights council agenda item repeatedly singling out and condemning one country. In a vote March 24 condemning settlements, 36 countries voted in favor, three countries opposed and eight countries abstained. A vote taking Israel to task about its occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem passed 42-3 with two abstentions. A resolution involving Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights saw 26 countries vote in favor, 18 against and three abstentions. 

The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem and Israel’s envoy to UN institutions in Geneva, Meirav Eilon Shahar, had campaigned for several weeks against the resolutions. Efforts included discussions with senior diplomats in Geneva and in many other countries to persuade them to vote against the resolutions. Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi spoke with counterparts from several countries that are members of the UN rights body. The United States is not part of the 47-member rights body.