Netanyahu praised the US withdrawal from UNESCO as a “courageous and ethical decision,” adding that Israel will also leave the organization.
The State Department announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Thursday, citing “continuing anti-Israel bias” among the reasons.
“This decision was not taken lightly, and reflects U.S. concerns with mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO,” State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement.
“This is a courageous and ethical decision because UNESCO has become a theater of the absurd and instead of preserving history, distorts it,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated.
He has instructed the Foreign Ministry to prepare Israel’s withdrawal from UNESCO in parallel with the US, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a press statement.
“In recent years, UNESCO has transformed itself into a delusional organization that lost its professional path in favor of the political interests of certain countries,” said Israel’s representative Carmel Shama-Hacohen.
In July, UNESCO voted to designate Hebron’s Old City and the Cave of the Patriarchs “Palestinian World Heritage Sites.”
In May, Israel called a UNESCO resolution passed on Israel Independence Day, which rejects Israeli sovereignty and jurisdiction over Jerusalem, “fake history” and “absurd.”
内塔尼亚胡赞扬美国从教科文组织撤出为“勇敢和道德上的决定”，并表示以色列也将离开该组织。
国务院星期四宣布退出联合国教科文组织，援引“继续反以色列偏见”的原因。
国务院发言人Heather Nauert在一份声明中说：“这一决定并不是轻率的，反映了美国对教科文组织拖欠会费的担忧，组织的基本改革的需要，以及反对以色列对教科文组织的偏见。
本杰明·内塔尼亚胡总理说：“这是一个勇敢和道德的决定，因为教科文组织已经成为荒唐的戏剧，而不是保存历史，使之扭曲。
总理府在一份新闻稿中表示，他已指示外交部准备同以色列同美国退出教科文组织。
以色列代表Carmel Shama-Hacohen说：“近年来，教科文组织已经转变为一个妄想组织，失去了有利于某些国家政治利益的专业道路。
7月份，教科文组织投票选出希布伦的老城区和“巴勒斯坦世界遗产遗址”的族长洞穴。
五月以色列呼吁，经过以色列独立日的教科文组织决议，反对以色列对耶路撒冷的主权和管辖权，“假历史”和“荒谬”。