US Announces Withdrawal from UNESCO Effective December 31, 2017

The United States has officially initiated the process to withdraw from UNESCO, effective December 31, 2017, citing anti-Israel bias. The White House accused the organization of adopting positions hostile to Israel, a move that prompted Israel to announce its own withdrawal. The US intends to maintain observer status. Tensions have been escalating since 2011 when the US halted funding after UNESCO admitted Palestine as a member state. Despite opposition from the US, Canada, and Germany, Palestine gained membership with 107 votes in favor, supported by France. The US retained an office in Paris to exert political influence, but the situation deteriorated after UNESCO recognized the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron as a Palestinian World Heritage site. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused UNESCO of falsifying history, and President Donald Trump supported him. UNESCO called the decision "deplorable," and France condemned it as detrimental to international détente. The Metropolitan Museum of Art issued a statement opposing the withdrawal, with President and CEO Daniel H. Weiss emphasizing the importance of protecting cultural heritage and maintaining international collaboration. The Met has worked with UNESCO for over half a century and views the withdrawal as undermining US leadership in cultural preservation.