US Withdraws from UNESCO over Israel Bias, ‘Divisive’ Agenda

Photo: Collected

The United States has announced its withdrawal from UNESCO, accusing the UN’s cultural and education agency of anti-Israel bias and promoting “divisive” global causes.

A spokesperson from the State Department said that continued US participation in UNESCO was no longer in the country’s national interest.

The exit had been anticipated under former President Donald Trump, who initially ordered the US to leave UNESCO in 2017 during his first term. Although President Joe Biden later restored US membership, the decision to withdraw has now been reactivated.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce criticised UNESCO for advancing what she described as “divisive social and cultural causes” and pushing an “ideological globalist agenda” through its focus on UN sustainability goals.

She also pointed to the organisation’s 2011 decision to admit Palestine as a member state as a major concern, calling it “highly problematic” and contrary to US policy. Bruce argued that this move contributed to increased anti-Israel sentiment within the agency.

UNESCO, officially known as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, oversees the designation of world heritage sites aimed at preserving significant environmental and cultural landmarks, including the Great Barrier Reef, the Serengeti, the Acropolis, and the Egyptian Pyramids.

The latest withdrawal is not without precedent. The US previously left UNESCO under President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, citing corruption and pro-Soviet leanings, before rejoining under President George W. Bush.