Following US lead, Israel to withdraw from UNESCO

By Kaamil Ahmed

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday instructed his Foreign Ministry to prepare to withdraw from the UN's culture agency (UNESCO) following a similar announcement by Washington.

"Israeli PM instructs Israel MFA [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] to prepare to leave UNESCO together with the USA," ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon tweeted.

He added: "UNESCO, as it is now, is biased and distorts history."

Earlier the same day, the U.S. announced its intention to withdraw from UNESCO, accusing the UN body of harboring "anti-Israeli bias".

The twin moves come following two UNESCO resolutions adopted earlier this year that downplayed the Jewish people's alleged historical link to religious sites in the cities of Jerusalem and Hebron (Al-Khalil).