U.S. to Withdraw from UNESCO

This week, President Donald Trump announced that the United States will be withdrawing from UNESCO, citing anti-Israel bias. Following the United States’ lead, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare for Israel’s withdrawal as well.



The State Department announced on Thursday that the United States would be leaving UNESCO because of its “anti-Israel bias.” Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, called the decision “brave and moral,” and indicated that Israel is planning to withdraw from UNESCO as well. The United States, however, will remain an “observer state” in UNESCO. Rep. Gaetz’s and Senator Cruz’s resolution urges America, regardless of its UNESCO membership, to work with its allies and prevent future anti-Israeli resolutions from being adopted.

In the past, UNESCO has remained silent when acts of anti-Israel terrorism have been committed, but quick to issue resolutions condemning and demeaning Israel. Recent resolutions have called Israel as an “occupying power” in Jerusalem, and recently, they have barred Israeli scientists from performing archaeological excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem, even though scientists’ previous findings have been of great significance to Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike.

Trent Franks (R-AR, 8th)

“UNESCO has proven to be nothing more than a fount of anti-Semitism promulgating a bigoted, anti-Israel agenda. UNESCO had the gall to attempt to rewrite history – they stated that Israel’s heritage sites, like the Temple Mount and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, are exclusively artifacts of Islamic history, despite the fact that these sites have been revered within Jewish and Christian faith for thousands of years. Additionally, UNESCO repeated the ridiculous calumny Israel is an ‘occupying power’ in the Old City of Jerusalem.

“The president is right to withdraw from UNESCO – this is a move that will signal to the global establishment that the United States stands by its strongest ally, Israel, and we will not cow tow to global elites’ rhetoric riddled with ‘political correctness.’ American taxpayers sick and tired of funding the virulent anti-Semitic antics of the world’s worst regimes at the U.N.”

Matt Gaetz (R-FL, 1st)

“The Jewish people, and the people of Israel, have a deep and ancient connection to the holy city of Jerusalem. Yet the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, is actively trying to rewrite history. UNESCO has not been silent in their condemnations of Israel. Each year brings new horrors. Their cruelty, their attempts to erase history, and their anti-Semitism cannot be tolerated any longer,” Rep. Gaetz said.

“The Trump Administration has demonstrated strong moral clarity in deciding to withdraw and continuing to withhold U.S. taxpayer dollars from UNESCO as a result of its relentless hostility towards our close ally Israel,” Sen. Cruz said. “I am proud to have worked with Rep. Matt Gaetz on this bicameral resolution that formally rejects UNESCO’s shameful and absurd attempts to deliberately erase the history of Jerusalem, Israel’s eternal capital. This resolution reaffirms the profound historical connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem that has existed for thousands of years, describes archeological excavations at the City of David that have revealed incontrovertible, physical evidence of the Jewish, as well as Christian ties to Jerusalem, and denounces efforts at UNESCO to delegitimize Israel and deny historical truth.”