Israel joins US in quitting Unesco

ISRAEL has said it will join America in pulling out of the UN’s cultural organisation Unesco, after US officials cited ‘anti-Israel bias’.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the US decision as ‘brave and moral’.

The agency is known for designating world heritage sites such as the Grand Canyon and Syria’s Palmyra. Unesco head Irina Bokova admitted ‘politicisation had taken its toll’.

In 2011 the US cut its funding to the agency by 22 per cent in protest at its decision to grant full membership to the Palestinians.