US withdraws from Unesco, citing ‘anti-Israeli bias’

The United States is to withdraw from Unesco - the UN’s cultural, scientific and educational body - citing financial reasons and claiming the organisation has an “anti-Israel bias”.

In a surprise announcement that drew condemnation from the international community, the US State Department said its decision, while not taken lightly, “reflects US concerns with mounting arrears at Unesco, the need for fundamental reform in the organisation, and continuing anti-Israel bias”.

According to Foreign Policy, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made the decision to pull out several weeks ago but had hoped to delay the announcement until after Unesco selects a new director-general this week.

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Once it formally leaves in December 2018, the US State Department said it hopes to remain a non-member, observer state, “in order to contribute US opinions and expertise on issues like press freedoms and protecting world heritage”.

Unesco’s current head, Irina Bokova, expressed her “profound regret” at the decision.

“Universality is critical to Unesco’s mission to strengthen international peace and security in the face of hatred and violence, to defend human rights and dignity,” she added.

Established after the Second World War to help promote the free flow of information, the organisation has become famous for its World Heritage programme.

However, the United States has “at times had an ambivalent relationship” with the Paris-based organisation, says The Washington Post. In 1984 the Reagan Administration withdrew the US from Unesco on the grounds it was biased in favour of the Soviet Union. President George W. Bush rejoined in 2002 but the US stopped paying its dues in 2011 after Unesco voted to include the Palestinian Authority as a member.

Last year, Israel recalled its Unesco ambassador after the organisation adopted two resolutions that Israeli leaders said ignored Judaism’s connection with one of Jerusalem’s holiest sites.

Israel’s relationship with the organisation “had long been rocky, after officials accused the body of making decisions out of political considerations”, says The Independent.

The emergence of Qatar’s Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari as a leading candidate to replace Bokova “has been seen by Israel and the US as a failure of their efforts to secure the post for a figure they regard as more friendly”, says The Guardian.

Following Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement, his potential withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and threat to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement, yesterday’s announcement is “yet another decision by the United States to distance itself from some parts of the international community”, says the Post.