After US withdrawal, Israel severs ties with some UN organisations

Israel has declared that it is cutting ties with three International organisations, two of which are linked to the UN, following the recent withdrawal of the United States.

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The Israeli Foreign Ministry, in a statement posted on Tuesday, said it has decided to follow suit by severing ties with these organisations after it examined US actions.

Last Thursday, the Donald Trump administration withdrew the US from 66 United Nations and international organisations that it claims do not serve US interests.

The administration said it made this choice after conducting a review of all international organisations, conventions, and treaties that the US is a party to.

Of the 66 organisations affected, 31 of them are associated with the UN, while the other 35 are non-UN organisations.

Referencing this, the Israeli foreign ministry said it has begun examining its relationship with several other international organisations.

It has now decided to sever ties with three bodies.

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The affected bodies include: the UN Energy, a coordination mechanism within the UN system focused on energy issues, and the Global Forum on Migration and Development, a UN-affiliated platform for dialogue on migration policy.

It is also cutting ties with the UN Alliance of Civilisations, an initiative founded by Turkey and Spain to promote intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.

Israel’s relationship with the UN has long been fraught, mainly because of criticism of its occupation of Palestinian territories.

The tension sharpened after Israel began its military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, following a Hamas attack that caused the death of hundreds of Israelis, prompting accusations at international forums of genocide and the deliberate use of starvation, claims that Israel denied.

Israel, in response, has accused UN aid agencies of failing to prevent the diversion of aid and demonstrating political bias.

For instance, it accused the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), which is the biggest UN agency operating in Gaza, of supporting Hamas and aiding its activities. That allegation was investigated by the UN, which found it to be false, leading to the UN General Assembly extending its support for UNRWA.

The General Assembly voted to endorse findings by the International Court of Justice that allegations of Hamas infiltration of UNRWA are not substantiated.

Voting overwhelmingly in support of this resolution in December, the UN also backed the ICJ’s declaration that questioning UNRWA’s neutrality lacks evidence.

But Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, insisted that UNRWA was a “hotbed for terrorism.”

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Damon accused the assembly of passing a resolution that compels Israel to cooperate with terrorism.

“That will not happen,” he declared.

In 2024, Israel banned the UNRWA from operating on Israeli land, including in occupied East Jerusalem, and from contacting Israeli authorities.

The ban came into effect in January last year, but it said UNRWA will continue working in all Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

Other agencies affected

In its latest action against the UN, the Israeli ministry also disclosed that Israel had already disengaged from several of the organisations named in the US announcement much earlier.

These include the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, an office within the UN Secretariat.

Israel also terminated its cooperation with the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

“UNWOMEN deliberately ignored all cases of sexual violence committed against Israeli women on Oct. 7th, 2023. The former local head of UNWOMEN concluded her tenure at Israel’s request. Israel terminated its cooperation agreement with the body as of July 2024.

“UNCTAD authored dozens of virulent anti-Israel reports. Israel has been disengaged for years. ESCWA issues virulent anti-Israel reports annually and serves as a basis for further anti-Israel resolutions. Israel has been disengaged for years,” the ministry stated.

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Israel’s adoption of the US relationship with UN organisations is not unexpected. Israel continues to enjoy near-unconditional diplomatic backing from the United States. The US has consistently shielded Israel at the UN, while providing military, financial and political support throughout the Gaza war.

US support has significantly reinforced Israel’s ability to withstand international pressure. The US has vetoed several UN resolutions that seek to hold Israel accountable for its actions in Palestine and other occupied territories.