Alwaght- Members of the United Nations have unanimously elected Iceland to take a seat on the world body’s 47-member Human Rights Council.
Needing just 97 votes, Iceland received 172 votes and secured 99.4 percent of the poll – beating a rival bid by France.
The country will fill the seat vacated by the US last month, which left the Geneva-based body after calling it a “cesspool of political bias” for its criticism of Israeli regime’s crimes against Palestinians.
The move was met with resounding worldwide criticism – even from allies in NATO and the EU. Iceland will remain on the council until its three-year term expires at the end of 2019.
Washington's measure echoed it 2017 move to pullout from the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), accusing the body of "continuing anti-Israel bias".
The US was angered in 2011 when UNESCO members granted Palestine full membership of the body, despite opposition from its ally Israel.
That year the US stopped paying its dues to the 195-member organization but did not officially withdraw.
The US opposes any move by UN bodies to recognize the Palestinians as a state or condemns Tel Aviv's crimes against Palestinians.
