US pulls out of UNESCO, alleges anti-Israel bias

The United States of America has pulled out of UNESCO, the cultural agency of the United Nations (UN), accusing it of having an anti-Israel bias.

The US had stopped funding UNESCO after it voted to include Palestine as a member in 2011 but it did maintain a UNESCO office. This is not the first time that US has decided to pull out of the international cultural agency, it has done the same in 1984 under Ronald Reagan.

Later in 2002, under the Bush administration it had joined back.

The decision to leave UNESCO comes at a time when the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is voting to choose a new director this week.

Many saw the vote to include Palestine as evidence of long-running, ingrained anti-Israel bias within the United Nations, where Israel and its allies are far outnumbered by Arab countries and their supporters.

The Trump administration has been preparing for a likely withdrawal for months, and a decision was expected before the end of the year, according to US officials. Several diplomats who were to have been posted to the mission this summer were told that their positions were on hold and advised to seek other jobs.

In addition, the Trump administration's proposed budget for the next fiscal year contains no provision for the possibility that UNESCO funding restrictions might be lifted.

(With inputs from agencies)