Israel’s UNESCO exit makes less sense now

The United States and Israel officially left the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) in January 2019. It came after years of Israel’s difficult relations with the UN body, as the organization appeared to be biased in favor of the Palestinians.

But that decision to leave now puts Israel in an awkward position, as the US is expected to return to the organization when the administration of US President- elect Joe Biden takes over the White House with a more multilateral approach, compared to the go- it- alone policies of outgoing President Donald Trump.

Israel had a difficult relationship with UNESCO in 2017 when the organization recognized the Old City of Hebron as a World Heritage Site, but this recognition appeared to ignore and diminish the Jewish history of Hebron and the holy site of the Cave of the Patriarchs.

The UN recognition concentrated more on the Ottoman and Mamluk era rather than the older Jewish sites in the city, which appeared out of line with UNESCO’s mission being cultural and educational, not political.

Israel slammed UNESCO when it declared the Jewish state to be an “occupying power.” In retaliation, Israel cut its funding to the body – and in November 2017, it moved to cut its ties and indicated that it would not be the only country to do so.

The US supported Israel, and this dovetailed with Trump’s overall skepticism of international organizations and US membership in partnerships, from the TransPacific Partnership to NATO and WHO.

The decision to leave came despite UNESCO appointing a new leader, France’s former culture minister Audrey Azoulay, who is Jewish. She pleaded with Jerusalem not to leave. Israel had been a member of the organization since 1949; in the last two decades, it recognized nine sites in Israel, contributing to preserving and documenting the many layers of its history, including Jewish heritage in the land.

But UNESCO had been more toxic to Israel during the era of Azoulay’s predecessor, Irina

Bokova, who led it from 2009 to 2017 – even though she sought to reassure that the political statements by pro- Palestinian members would not erase the Jewish history of Jerusalem or other areas.

UNESCO was suffering from the same problems as other UN bodies that have often been held at the whim of many states who are often biased toward the Palestinians.

However, UNESCO officials and the organization itself worked closely with Israel, and the Israeli sites inside the Green Line. What was controversial were decisions over Jerusalem and Hebron and Battir, a site the Palestinians had pushed for.

On the outskirts of Jerusalem and also having Jewish historic significance, Battir was pushed as a way to prevent the building of a section of Israel’s security barrier, and ostensibly to preserve unique agricultural terracing of the village. But since Battir’s inscription, the Palestinians have not invested in it, illustrating that their demand was pushed more for political reasons.

But instead of Israel seeking

government.

“The entire nation is interested in releasing Pollard, and I am the emissary of the nation,” Peres told reporters after the meeting. “I don’t think of myself as Shimon. I am the representative of the State of Israel, and I speak in the name of its people.”

Pollard entered the room at his prison skeptical but cautiously optimistic, ready to see what his first parole hearing would be like.

But all hopes that the hearing would be fair were dashed immediately. The government’s representatives spoke menacingly, treated Pollard with contempt, prevented his lawyer from making his case, and made it clear that the Israeli agent would not see the Jewish state any time soon, if ever.

Those present described the hearing as a “kangaroo court” and even “a lynching.”

Pollard’s parole came a year later and was granted for technical – not political reasons. The unprecedented parole restrictions he faced were typical for Pollard, whose life sentence was also an exception to the rule.

He served more than 20 years longer than anyone ever convicted of spying for an ally, the victim of attempts to make an example of him and deter future spies. The plea agreement he signed that was supposed to guarantee he would not be given a life sentence went ignored.

Former CIA head James Woolsey blamed Pollard’s continued incarceration on antisemitism, in an interview with the Post’s Caroline Glick.

“My view is that he should be treated like other intelligence assets of allies,” he said. “We spy on some allies, and they have spied on us. Because they’re allies, usually they have only been in prison for a few years. What I said is that people shouldn’t be hung up on him being Jewish or Israeli. Pretend he’s Greek and release him.”

It is only fitting that Pollard finally ended up getting his release on Friday, not because of politics but in spite of politics. • are having a hard time, I make myself available 24/ 7 if someone needs me. I try to teach them to handle the pressure.”

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