On January 1st, 2019 United States of America officially withdrew from United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. The withdrawal was announced in October 2017 because United Nation accepts Palestine’s membership (in 2011) and recognize the Old City of Hebron as Palestinian heritage (2017) and now the formal process begins. These decisions enrage USA and Israel and they quit UNESCO. The reaction was unexpected and they stop paying membership dues to UNESCO as a protest. Past due fees raised to $570 billion by 2017 and will cross $600 billion in this year. So the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson decided to pull out the USA after December 31, 2018. It is to be noted that USA will remain engaged in UN as observer state but will lose its right to vote on any issue. State Department officials said American withdrawal may be a pushing factor for UNESCO and they may make changes to satisfy Washington so the USA will resume its full membership.
In 1948 USA helps in UN’s foundation but recently they are on bad terms. UN and America have ‘Israel bias ‘dispute and situation turned worst when UN admitted the City of Hebron as a sanctuary of Abraham to Muslims. This city is sacred among other relics and historical places. The tomb of Patriarchs is a sacred religious place known as the cave of Machpelah to Jews.
This is the second time USA withdraw from UN, the first time in 1948 under president Ronald Reagan in an effort to thwart Soviet union’s historical places. They rejoined in 2002 after 9\11.
About American withdrawal, Director-General of UNESCO said: at the time of talk about violent extremism and dialogue among cultures to prevent hatred, it is regrettable that US must withdraw from UN leading these issues!
