Israel yesterday followed its ally the US in quitting the UN’s culture and education body, in a move that underlined Washington’s drift away from international institutions.
The US decision, announced in Washington late on Thursday, follows years of tension at the organisation which the US accused of having an “anti-Israel bias”.
“This decision was not taken lightly, and reflects US concerns with mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organisation, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO,” US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said early yesterday.
The US walked out of the 195-member organisation once before, under Ronald Reagan, who quit the body in 1984 over financial mismanagement and claims of anti-US bias in some of its policies.
Read the article in The Australian (AAP).