Trump administration correctly removes US from biased UNESCO

"Last week, the Trump administration took the laudable step of removing the United States from UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. For too long and on too many occasions, UNESCO demonstrated an anti-Israel agenda and acted contrary to its stated mission.

Earlier this year, UNESCO designated the Old City of Hebron and the Tomb of the Patriarchs – one of the holiest sites for the Jewish people – as part of the Palestinian territory. The patriarchs and matriarchs of the Jewish people – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah – are all buried at the site.

The action by UNESCO on Hebron is yet another anti-Israel measure that denies facts and continues its abhorrent pattern of behavior. Months before, UNESCO approved a resolution that rejected Israel's legal or historical claims to the city of Jerusalem.

This troubling pattern of obvious anti-Israel agenda is why I offered an amendment this past July during the Appropriations Committee markup of the Fiscal Year 2018 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill condemning UNESCO's decision on Hebron and the Tomb of the Patriarchs. The amendment passed unanimously...

America must send a clear and unmistakable message to the Middle East and beyond that anyone with an anti-Israel and anti-Semitic agenda will not go unchallenged. I am hopeful that the decision to step away from UNESCO will be a wakeup call to nations and international organizations, and that we can find new partnerships that continue to advance and strengthen the goals we all share for a stable and prosperous world."