Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Sa'ar, announced on Wednesday that Jerusalem will immediately sever all contact with several United Nations
agencies and international bodies, citing what the government described as persistent bias, politicisation and actions hostile to Israel. The decision came after an examination and discussions held in the aftermath of the United States' decision to withdraw from dozens of international organisations. In a post on X on Tuesday, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision was made after a review of organisations named in the US announcement and of Israel's own experience with these bodies. "After an examination and discussion conducted following the US withdrawal from dozens of international organizations, Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs @gidonsaar has decided that Israel will immediately sever all contact with the following UN agencies and international organizations. In addition, Foreign Minister Sa'ar has instructed his Ministry to immediately examine, in consultation with relevant government ministries, when necessary, the continued cooperation between Israel and other organizations. Further decisions will be made following thorough examination and an additional discussion," Israel Foreign Ministry wrote in its post.
The Ministry said that Foreign Minister Sa'ar has also instructed officials to immediately examine, in consultation with relevant government ministries where necessary, the continuation of cooperation with additional international organisations, with further decisions to be taken after a thorough review and follow-up discussions.
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Israeli officials have repeatedly objected to the listing, noting that Israel was the only democratic country placed alongside terror organisations such as ISIS and Boko Haram. Israel had already cut ties with the Office in June 2024.
Israel severs ties with several UN organisations
Israel has also severed relations with UN Women, formally known as the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWOMEN). "The organisation deliberately ignored all cases of sexual violence committed against Israeli women on Oct. 7th, 2023. The former local head of UNWOMEN concluded her tenure at Israel's request. Israel terminated its cooperation agreement with the body and notified the UN Secretary-General that it is ceasing all cooperation with the body, as of July 2024," the post stated.
Another organisation cited was the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which Israeli officials said had authored "dozens of virulent anti-Israel reports." Israel has been disengaged from UNCTAD for several years.
Similarly, Israel has long been disengaged from the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which, according to the Foreign Ministry, issues "virulent anti-Israel reports annually" and provides the basis for further anti-Israel resolutions within the UN system.
Beyond these bodies, the Foreign Ministry announced that Israel has now decided to sever ties with additional international organisations.
These include the UN Alliance of Civilisations, which was founded by Turkey and Spain and claims to promote intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. Israel alleged that despite this mandate, the organisation has not invited Israel to participate and has instead been used for years as a platform for attacks against the Jewish state.
Israel will also cut ties with UN Energy, which the Foreign Ministry described as "a wasteful organisation" that reflects the "excessive and inefficient bureaucracy of the United Nations."
Another body affected by the decision is the Global Forum on Migration and Development, which Israel said undermines the ability of sovereign states to enforce their own immigration laws.
As stated, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will thoroughly examine additional organisations and make further decisions later.
(With agency inputs)
