The recent decision by the Trump Administration to once again withdraw the United States from UNESCO is not only welcome—it’s overdue. While critics may frame this as another blow to multilateralism, anyone paying attention to UNESCO’s behavior over the years knows that the organization has abandoned its foundational purpose of fostering international cultural and educational cooperation. Instead, it has devolved into a platform for politicized, ideologically driven agendas—many of them hostile to Israel.
UNESCO has long been at odds with reality when it comes to the Jewish state. In 2011, it granted full membership to the so-called “State of Palestine,” triggering U.S. defunding. Since then, it has consistently passed resolutions that erase Jewish historical ties to Jerusalem, reframe Israel as an occupying power, and use every opportunity to portray the only democracy in the Middle East as a pariah. At an executive board meeting as recently as April, the organization again referred to Israel as the “occupying power” while discussing “Occupied Palestine.” This isn’t education—it’s propaganda.
Under the Trump Administration’s first term, the U.S. rightly exited UNESCO. The Biden Administration reversed that in 2023, spending over $600 million in back dues to rejoin—essentially rewarding the agency’s radical tilt. Since then, UNESCO has doubled down on divisive cultural programming: producing an “anti-racism toolkit” that promotes sweeping accusations of structural inequity, releasing reports on “gender norms in video games,” and launching “Transforming MENtalities” campaigns. Whatever one thinks of these priorities, they bear little resemblance to the agency’s original mission.
Supporters of rejoining claim U.S. presence is necessary to counterbalance China’s influence within the organization. But this logic falls flat. If China is gaining sway in UNESCO, it’s partly because the institution has created ideological vacuums the Chinese Communist Party is all too eager to fill. Rather than fighting for relevance within a broken structure, the U.S. should be leading by example—investing in institutions that promote genuine cultural dialogue and historical truth, especially as it concerns Israel.
American leadership doesn’t require being everywhere. It requires being effective. UNESCO has become a hub of soft-power warfare where truth is sacrificed for ideology. It no longer serves U.S. values, and it certainly does not serve the cause of peace or historical integrity in the Middle East. That’s why this withdrawal isn’t just defensible—it’s necessary.
Christians and Jews United for Israel believes that any international body receiving American taxpayer dollars should, at minimum, demonstrate fairness and historical honesty toward Israel. UNESCO has failed on both counts. Let others fund its agenda. The United States—and the truth—deserve better.