The Biden administration is pressuring Israel to resume its participation in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Israel Hayom learned over the weekend.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The US and Israel pulled out of UNESCO in 2019 citing growing concerns that the organization fosters anti-Israel bias.
Israel "will not be a member of an organization whose goal is to deliberately act against us, and that has become a tool manipulated by Israel's enemies," then-Israeli Ambassador to the UN envoy Danny Danon said at the time.
The Paris-based organization has been denounced by its critics as a crucible for anti-Israel bias following a series of puzzling decisions questioning Israeli presence in Jerusalem, naming ancient Jewish sites as Palestinian heritage sites, and granting full membership to the Palestinian Authority in 2011.
While the withdrawal was mainly procedural, it dealt UNESCO – co-founded by the US after World War II to foster peace – a serious financial blow.
The US provided 20% or the agency's funding, but US President Barack Obama suspended payments in 2011, when the Palestinian Authority became a full member, in line with US law.
Last month, the Biden began exploring its way back to UNESCO, with administration officials saying that it would allow Washington to promote other US interests.
As part of these efforts, the Senate Appropriations Committee is currently trying to devise way by which Washington, which owes UNESCO over $500 million, will be able to funnel the money through a special waiver, thus enabling the US to resume its membership.
According to Middle East Monitor, however, to become law, the waiver would have to pass both the Senate and House, and chances of that are slim.
The matter of Israeli resuming its membership in UNESCO was reportedly broached by several US officials in conversations with their Israeli counterparts, as it would go along way toward easing the appropriation bill's path.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield also raised the issue during her visit to Israel last week.
Jerusalem sources said that the government has yet to respond to the US on the matter.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
