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posted by cmn32480 on Monday October 23 2017, @01:54PM   Printer-friendly
from the tactical-advance-away-from-them dept.

The Guardian, The New York Times, Al-Jazeera over the decision of USA and Israel to withdraw from UNESCO over 'anti-Israel bias'

The Guardian

The United States has formally notified the UN's world heritage body Unesco that it is withdrawing its membership of the organisation citing "continuing anti-Israel bias".
The announcement by the Trump administration was followed a few hours later by news that Israel was also planning to quit the financially struggling cultural and educational agency.
...
The body is best known for its world heritage listings of outstanding cultural and natural sites but has often drawn the ire of Israel and the Trump administration for a series of decisions, including the listing of Hebron, a city in the southern part of the occupied Palestinian territories, as a Palestinian world heritage site.
...
Disclosing the US government's decision, the state department said in a statement it would seek to "remain engaged ... as a non-member observer state in order to contribute US views, perspectives and expertise".

The statement added: "This decision was not taken lightly, and reflects US concerns with mounting arrears at Unesco, the need for fundamental reform in the organisation, and continuing anti-Israel bias at Unesco," the US state department said. The withdrawal will take effect on 31 December 2018.

The New York Times

The administration also cited mounting arrears at the organization as a reason for the decision.

"We were in arrears to the tune of $550 million or so, and so the question is, do we want to pay that money?" Heather Nauert, a spokeswoman for the State Department, said Thursday at a news briefing. She added, "With this anti-Israel bias that's long documented on the part of Unesco, that needs to come to an end."
...

Cultural organizations in the United States criticized the decision, saying Unesco played a key role in preserving vital cultural heritage worldwide.

"Although Unesco may be an imperfect organization, it has been an important leader and steadfast partner in this crucial work," said Daniel H. Weiss, the president and chief executive of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
...
Analysts said that withdrawing from the organization was a significant escalation by the United States in its criticism of United Nations bodies.

"This is another example of the Trump's administration's profound ambivalence and concern about the way the U.N. is structured and behaves," said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator and adviser in Republican and Democratic administrations.

In July, Unesco declared the ancient and hotly contested core of Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as a Palestinian World Heritage site in danger, a decision sharply criticized by Israel and its allies. And in 2015, Unesco adopted a resolution that criticized Israel for mishandling heritage sites in Jerusalem and condemned "Israeli aggressions and illegal measures against freedom of worship."

Al-Jazeera

In a statement announcing its withdrawal, Israel called the US administration's decision "courageous and moral", and accused UNESCO of becoming a "theatre of the absurd".

"The prime minister instructed the foreign ministry to prepare Israel's withdrawal from the organisation alongside the United States," Benjamin Netayanu's office said in a statement.
...

Thursday's development demonstrates the US administration's "complete and total bias" towards Israel, says Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, a political party comprising mostly secular intellectuals.

"This behaviour is counterproductive and shameful," he told Al Jazeera by phone. "Sooner or later they will see Palestine in every UN agency. Will the US respond to that by withdrawing from the WHO or the World Intellectual Property Organization? They will be hurting only themselves."
...
Russia's foreign ministry said it regreted the decision, adding that the move would disrupt a number of important projects planned by UNESCO.

"We share the concern by many countries that the activity of UNESCO has been too politicised lately," the ministry said in a statement.
...
Barghouti, of the Palestinian National Initiative, said it is "as if Israel is dictating US policy not only in the Middle East but also in international organisations.

"This is going to have a very harmful effect on the idea of the US being a mediator between the Palestinians and the Israelis."


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  • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Tuesday October 24 2017, @02:27PM (4 children)

    by Thexalon (636) on Tuesday October 24 2017, @02:27PM (#586869)

    How does it sound if we declare Britain to be a "white" nation?

    The UK is actually officially an Anglican nation. The Archbishop of Canterbury has an official (although largely symbolic) position in the British government, and they receive a bit of government money. A number of other countries have similar kinds of relationships with the Catholic Church.

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  • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday October 24 2017, @02:48PM (3 children)

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Tuesday October 24 2017, @02:48PM (#586880) Journal

    OK. If that's the norm then why did everybody get so upset when George W. Bush called America a "Christian nation?" Why do they pan David Duke when he asserts America for white people? Is it only bad if they say things like that in America, but perfectly normal and acceptable elsewhere? Why the double standard?

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    • (Score: 2) by t-3 on Tuesday October 24 2017, @04:47PM (1 child)

      by t-3 (4907) on Tuesday October 24 2017, @04:47PM (#586927)

      Because America is supposed to be better, not an ethnic state, but a land where all can come live according to the ideals it was founded on; Liberty, justice, and freedom for all.

      • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday October 24 2017, @06:37PM

        by Phoenix666 (552) on Tuesday October 24 2017, @06:37PM (#586988) Journal

        Right. I agree.

        So why do we support an ethnic, apartheid state like Israel but we didn't support the country that invented the word "apartheid?" Why did we demonize the Serbs for ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia when we apparently are just fine and dandy with the Israelis doing it to the Palestinians? Because reasons?

        Why are we at the brink of war with North Korea for illegally acquiring nuclear weapons, but look the other way on Israel's? North Korea hasn't invaded or attacked anyone since the armistice 50 years ago, but in that span of time Israel has actually invaded its neighbors, what, at least 3 times? Why aren't we mobilizing our forces to kick Israel's ass for doing what Saddam did to Kuwait? Lemme guess--once again, because reasons?

        An America that was truly about liberty, justice, and freedom for all would have squashed Israel like a bug a long time ago.

        --
        Washington DC delenda est.
    • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Tuesday October 24 2017, @06:11PM

      by Thexalon (636) on Tuesday October 24 2017, @06:11PM (#586975)

      Because the United States has as one of its founding principles that we specifically don't have an official national religion. George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were all extremely clear on that point, repeatedly. And if you're really unclear on why it would be a problem, replace the word "Christian" with the word "Muslim" and tell me whether everybody is still basically OK with it.

      Also, in many of those countries I mentioned, the governments have signed on to the European Convention of Human Rights, which provides the equivalent to the Free Exercise Clause in Article 9, and are steadily loosening the relationships between the church and state. For example, in the UK, the Archbishop of Canterbury's only duties related to the government involve performing ceremonies for the royal family, and advising the Queen if she asks him to.

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