Washington perceives the agency as hostile to Israel and influenced by China
The US has announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) over alleged anti-Israel bias.
In February, President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day review by the State Department into US involvement in UNESCO programs. The move was part of a broader push to disengage from UN institutions that officials claim act counter to American interests and undermine US allies, while “propagating anti-Semitism.”
Trump’s decision to exit the agency followed findings that UNESCO “works to advance divisive social and cultural causes,” the State Department declared on Tuesday. It also cited the agency’s recognition of the state of Palestine and “proliferation of anti-Israeli rhetoric within the organization.”
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay called the development regrettable, if anticipated, and stressed the organization’s role in Holocaust education and the fight against anti-Semitism.
The US has previously withdrawn from UNESCO. President Ronald Reagan did so in 1984, citing financial mismanagement and accusations that the agency’s policies undermined free markets in favor of so-called Third World agendas. That decision was reversed by President George W. Bush in 2002 as the US sought global support for the Iraq invasion.
Trump pulled out of the agency again during his first term, only for President Joe Biden to rejoin UNESCO in 2023.
The New York Post was the first to report the imminent announcement, followed by other media outlets. The newspaper cited UNESCO programs addressing gender and racial discrimination that the Trump administration’s review found objectionable. The administration also believes “China has leveraged its influence over UNESCO to advance global standards that are favorable to Beijing’s interests,” White House deputy spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Post.
Beijing urged Washington to avoid “confrontation and division” at UNESCO when US membership was last restored.
Israeli officials have previously accused UNESCO of anti-Semitism, particularly over its recognition of Palestinian cultural heritage sites in occupied territories. Israel left the agency alongside the US in 2019.
UNESCO has denied disregarding Jewish historical legacy in Palestine.
Last month, Trump authorized US military strikes on Iran in support of an Israeli campaign targeting Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure – an action that drew international criticism and was labeled by some governments as unlawful aggression.
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