Jerusalem severs ties with 7 UN agencies, citing anti-Israel bias

Sa’ar decries UN Women for ignoring sexual violence cases on Oct. 7, slams another agency for wastefulness, will examine ties with further UN organizations

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on Tuesday Israel’s withdrawal from several United Nations agencies and associated organizations for reasons ranging from their alleged anti-Israel bias to “ineffective bureaucracy.”

The agencies Israel withdrew from, effective immediately, are the: Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women); UN Conference on Trade and Development; UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia; UN Alliance of Civilizations; UN Energy; and Global Forum on Migration and Development.

In a statement announcing the move, the Foreign Ministry said it was ceasing cooperation with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict after it added the IDF to a “blacklist” in its annual report on children in armed conflict, along with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

“Israel is the only democratic country to be listed, alongside ISIS and Boko Haram,” it noted, adding that Israel already cut ties with the office in June 2024.

Similarly, it said, Sa’ar pulled Israel out of UN Women after it “deliberately ignored all cases of sexual violence committed against Israeli women on October 7, 2023.”

It cited “virulent anti-Israel reports” as the reason for withdrawing from both the UN Agency for Trade and Development and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, and says the Alliance of Civilizations is “used as a platform for attacks against Israel.”

Finally, it accused UN Energy of being a “wasteful organization,” reflective of the “excessive and inefficient bureaucracy of the UN,” and said that the Global Forum on Migration and Development “erodes the ability of sovereign nations to enforce their own immigration laws.”

The ministry added that it will continue to examine Israel’s ties with additional UN agencies.

Israel has long accused the global body of bias, with more resolutions against Jerusalem annually than against other countries combined.

Israel has been particularly critical of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, even before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror assault in southern Israel — accusing the agency of colluding with Hamas and teaching anti-Israel hatred, which UNRWA denies.

Israel has already banned UNRWA from operating in Israeli territory and has curtailed its activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, based on what it says are its entrenched ties to terror groups.

Israel has also provided evidence that UNRWA schools incited hatred of Israel and glorification of attacks against Israelis.

Additionally, Israel last year refused to renew visas for the heads of at least three United Nations agencies in Gaza.

Under the Standards of Conduct for the International Civil Service adopted by the UN, staff are advised not to take sides or express their convictions publicly on controversial matters.

Last week, US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from a total of 66 global organizations and treaties — roughly half affiliated with the United Nations — accusing them of acting “contrary to the interests of the United States.”