America and Israel pull out of 'biased' UNESCO

The cultural agency's director-general expresses "profound regret" at the decision, describing it as a loss for the UN "family".

19:17, UK,Thursday 12 October 2017

Image:The Ibrahimi Mosque or Tomb of the Patriarchs is a holy shrine for Muslims and Jews - but UNESCO labelled it a 'Palestinian World Heritage Site in Danger'

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By Alan McGuinness, News Reporter

The US and Israel are pulling out of UNESCO over what they see as the UN cultural agency's anti-Israel bias.

"This decision was not taken lightly, and reflects US concerns with mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organisation, and continuing anti-Israel bias," said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

Hours later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his country would also pull out and praised America's "brave and moral decision".