Israel has withdrawn its opposition to the US return to UNESCO

Biden wants to return to the organization from which Trump resigned to curb Chinese influence.

The White House needed a "green light" from Israel for Congress to allow the move.

Israel agreed to change its position after receiving guarantees that the organization would prevent unilateral steps and recognize a Jewish site in Jerusalem as a World Heritage Site

Lightning Ravid

09/02/2022

Wednesday, 09 February 2022, 17:54 Updated: 19:03

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In the video: Netanyahu: I ordered to retire from UNESCO in light of the organization's biased attitude (Photo: Roni Knafo, editor: Yair Daniel)

Israel has updated the US administration in recent days that it is removing its opposition to the United States' return to the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, UNESCO - Walla Walla was told today (Wednesday)!

Israeli and American officials.

The new Israeli position paves the way for a vote in the US Congress on the allocation of more than $ 500 million to pay the US debt to UNESCO and the return of the United States as a full member of the organization.

Israel and UNESCO had a very strained relationship during former tenure.

In those years, the organization became a battleground between Israel and the Palestinians with a series of anti-Israel resolutions passed by the UNESCO Board of Directors - especially on the issue of Jerusalem. In 2011, Palestine was accepted as a full member of UNESCO.

As a result, President Barack Obama's administration stopped transferring funding to UNESCO, which led to a 20% cut in the organization's budget.

More on Walla!

Lapid examines Israel's return to UNESCO

To the full article

More on Walla!

• The decision went into effect: Israel and the United States left UNESCO

• UNESCO: We have officially accepted Israel's request to withdraw from the organization

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Wants to curb the influence of China.

Biden (Photo: AP, Alex Brandon)

In October 2017, the Trump administration announced that the United States was leaving UNESCO.

The US State Department at the time justified the decision in its demand for UNESCO budget reforms and anti-Israel bias in the organization. Shortly afterwards, Israel also left UNESCO.

In recent months since the formation of the new government in Jerusalem, the Biden government has repeatedly asked Israel not to oppose an American return to UNESCO.

The Biden administration needed Israel not to oppose the move to persuade members of Congress and Democratic senators who were concerned about the anti-Israel atmosphere at UNESCO to vote in favor of a law that would allow Biden to return and transfer funds to UNESCO.

Only in this way will the US be able to pay the debt to the organization and return to being a full company.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has been working behind the scenes in recent months to persuade members of Congress to support the move and send reassuring messages to Israel that she will not allow anti-Israel moves or discrimination against Israel at UNESCO. Adviser to the King of Morocco, Andrei Azoulay, who is close to many senior officials in Israel, as well as to the chairman of the World Jewish Congress, Ron Lauder, to convey messages to the government in Jerusalem.

Action to convey reassuring messages to Israel.

UNESCO Director General Azoulay (Photo: AP)

In recent months, the Foreign Ministry has re-examined the policy regarding UNESCO. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who led the move, believed that responding to the US request would serve Israel and convinced Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that under CEO Azoulay there had been positive changes in Israel.

"It was also very important to the Americans and it is not the same UNESCO," said a senior Israeli official who took part in the discussions.

In recent weeks, there have been direct talks between Israel and UNESCO on the US return to the organization.

A senior Israeli official said that during those talks, Israel received guarantees from UNESCO that the situation in which the organization would become a field for anti-Israel actions would not be repeated. In addition, as part of the understandings between the parties, Israel will invite the UNESCO Director General to visit Jerusalem, which was very important to Azoulay.

In recent days, after the final details were agreed upon, Israel has officially announced to the Biden administration that it will not oppose a US return to UNESCO.

He believes that complying with the request will serve Israel.

Lapid (Photo: Reuven Castro)

The U.S. Senate is due to vote later this month on a law that would allow the administration to pay the debts to UNESCO and return to full membership in the organization. The bill states that an American return to UNESCO is needed to curb Chinese influence.

The law includes a clause according to which if the Palestinians are accepted again as full members of one of the UN organizations, the US will automatically stop the payments to UNESCO.

The law stipulates that the renewal of American payments to UNESCO will be valid until the end of September 2025 In this way, American funding will also serve as a lever of pressure on whoever replaces her in office.

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