Days after the US withdrew from 66 international organisations, Israel announced that it would immediately cut all ties with seven UN agencies and affiliated bodies, accusing them of anti-Israel bias and calling the institutions ineffective and bloated. In a statement announcing the move, the Foreign Ministry 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 Gideon Sa'ar 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.
Israel withdraws from 7 UN agencies | List
The agencies Israel withdrew from, effective immediately, are:
- Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
- UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
- UN Conference on Trade and Development
- UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
- UN Alliance of Civilizations
- UN Energy
- Global Forum on Migration and Development
The Ministry further 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.
Israel already withdrawn from four UN bodies
From the list of organisations referenced in the US announcement, Israel has already severed ties with four UN bodies. These include the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict, which Israel said "shamelessly blacklisted the IDF in 2024."
"Israel is the only democratic country to be listed, alongside ISIS and Boko Haram," it noted, adding that Israel already cut ties with the office in June 2024.
Israel has also withdrawn from UN Women, accusing the agency of ignoring sexual violence against Israeli women during the October 7, 2023, attacks. The Israeli Foreign Minister said Israel terminated its cooperation agreement and formally notified the UN Secretary-General that all engagement with the body would cease from July 2024.
US exits from 66 international organisations
Last week, US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organisations, including the UN's population agency and the UN treaty that establishes international climate negotiations, as the US further retreats from global cooperation. The order, signed on Wednesday, covers 35 non-UN organisations and 31 United Nations entities, the White House said.
It said the organisations promote "radical climate policies, global governance, and ideological programs that conflict with US sovereignty and economic strength". Several of these focus on climate, labor, migration, and other issues that the Trump administration has termed as catering to diversity and woke initiatives.
Also Read: US exits from 66 international organizations as Trump pushes 'America first' policy
