"A group of Arab countries, headed by Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, have backtracked on their intention of presenting resolutions critical of Israel's policies in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip at the UNESCO executive board session in Paris this week. This would be the first time since April 2013 that resolutions were not presented on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
A senior official in the Foreign Ministry said the decision to withdraw the resolutions was made following quiet diplomatic talks last week between the UNESCO committee chairman, Michael Worbs, Israel's UN ambassador, Carmel Shama Hacohen, and the Jordanian ambassador to UNESCO, Makram Queisi.
The senior official said a number of Western countries were also involved in the talks, primarily the United States. According to the official, Jason Greenblatt, U.S. President Donald Trump's adviser on Israel, was personally involved.
The understandings reached included a decision that, instead of holding a vote on two resolutions – on East Jerusalem and the "status of occupied Palestine," which were submitted by Arab countries and whose wording was identical to that of resolutions passed six months ago – Worbs would submit two proposals to delay the vote by six months, which would be accepted by consensus by all 56 countries that are members of UNESCO's executive board.
A senior official in the Foreign Ministry said Israel had not pledged anything in exchange. According to the official, the Israeli position remained that political resolutions against Israel or the Jewish people had no place in UNESCO even if their wording was softened.
The senior official added that, together with talks on postponing the vote, Israel had worked with ambassadors of the member states in Paris as well as in the capitals of the relevant countries to ensure that the group of countries voting against such resolutions would grow...
The decision of the Arab states to withdraw the resolutions on Israel and the territories also comes in light of the fact that the election of a new director general of UNESCO is to be held at the upcoming executive board meeting this week. The shortlist includes representatives from Egypt, Qatar and Iraq, and Jerusalem believes the postponement is also connected with the desire not to harm the electoral chances of one of the Arab candidates to become the next UNESCO chief..."