Biden's foreign policy showed double standards on human rights

A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international non-profit organisation, says US President Joe Biden’s foreign policy was inconsistent on human rights.

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According to the report, Mr Biden’s administration provided arms to Israel despite the war crimes in Gaza but criticised Russia for similar violations in Ukraine.

The non-profit published the 2025 World Report on Thursday.

The HRW report disclosed that although the president’s foreign policy approved the sale of more than 100 arms to Israel, it withheld funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the principal humanitarian agency for Palestinians.

This was amid Gaza’s starvation crisis due to the Israeli siege.

This was in contrast to the “EU, UK, and other countries who resumed funding to UNRWA, the key Palestinian humanitarian agency.

“Countries including the Netherlands, Canada, and the UK suspended some arms transfers or licenses to Israel due to a clear risk of their arms being used in serious violations of international law,” the report stated.

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The report noted that the Biden-led administration also allocated $17.9 billion as security aid to Israel during a war that led to the death of 44,000 people in Gaza.

According to Human Rights Watch, the data on deaths and injuries do not include those who died from illness or disease or who were buried under the rubble.

It also stated that 70 per cent of the 8,200 fatalities the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) verified were women and children.

“Israeli forces forcibly displaced nearly all of Gaza’s population, often multiple times. In October, Israel ordered more than 1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate within 24 hours.

“By May 2024, more than half of Gaza’s population was crammed into the southern city of Rafah, which the Israeli military then attacked, forcing more than 1.4 million people to flee again,” the report read in part.

Trump’s re-election a threat to human rights

The report disclosed that the Biden administration turned a blind eye to significant human rights abuses committed by key allies such as the United Arab Emirates, India, and Kenya.

It also described Donald Trump’s reelection as US president as a threat to human rights.

The former president, who served from 2017 to 2021, emerged victorious in the 2024 presidential election, defeating the Democratic candidate and Vice President, Kamala Harris.

Mr Trump is set to be inaugurated and officially welcomed into the White House on 20 January.

However, the HRW said his return “will affect, by commission and omission, respect for human rights abroad.”

“If the first Trump administration’s attacks on multilateral institutions, international law, and the rights of marginalised groups are any indication, his second term could inflict even greater human rights damage, including by emboldening illiberal leaders worldwide to follow suit,” it added.

Human rights issues in Europe

The report also stated that Europe is facing significant human rights challenges.

The report said many European governments have used economic stagnation and security issues as a pretext to justify their selective jettisoning of rights. However, they fail to take credible action to improve financial and social rights.

The action, the report noted, often affects marginalised groups, migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees.

The HRW report also stated that authoritarian leaders are making strides in elections because mainstream parties are normalising their discriminatory rhetoric and policies.

It noted that this fragmented global political landscape reflects a broader truth: the shared values and commitment to human rights for all cannot be taken for granted.

“Indeed, the appeal of populist leaders lies in their willingness to scapegoat minorities and foreigners and offer voters the mirage of “solutions” in exchange for trading away their rights and the rule of their inseparable link.

“The past year reinforced the importance of looking to governments across regions to display bold leadership on human rights and accountability – and they will need to do so more often,” the report said.