Jerusalem: Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday announced that the country will cut off contact with a number of UN agencies and international bodies, following the recent US decision to withdraw from dozens of multilateral organizations.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed that Israel will immediately end all cooperation with several entities named in the US list and will evaluate its participation in others. Sa’ar has also instructed ministry officials, together with relevant government departments, to carry out a detailed review of existing relationships before any further decisions are taken.
Israel clarified that it had previously ended engagement with multiple UN organizations before this latest announcement:
Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict – Israel ended cooperation in June 2024 after the IDF was placed on the office’s blacklist. Israel was the only democratic nation listed, alongside extremist groups such as ISIS and Boko Haram.
UN Women (UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women) – Israel notified the UN of the cessation of all cooperation in July 2024, after the organization failed to address documented cases of sexual violence against Israeli women during the October 7, 2023 attacks. The former UN Women country representative completed her term at Israel’s request.
UN Conference on Trade and Development – The ministry cited years of critical reporting as the reason for Israel ending its engagement. Israel has been disengaged from the body for an extended period.
UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia – Israel has long refused cooperation, arguing that the commission issues persistent anti-Israel reports and is used to promote resolutions against the country.
In addition to reiterating past decisions, the ministry confirmed that Israel will now cease cooperation with three more bodies:
UN Alliance of Civilizations – Despite its stated mandate of interfaith and intercultural dialogue, Israel says it has been repeatedly excluded from participation and used as a forum for criticism of the State of Israel.
UN Energy – The ministry described the initiative as an unnecessary duplication of existing international work, reflecting what it called the UN system’s excessive bureaucracy.
Global Forum on Migration and Development – Israel argues that the forum undermines the sovereignty of member nations by challenging national immigration and border control policies.
In a post on X, the ministry emphasized that this phase represents the first step in a broader reassessment of multilateral engagement. Additional organizations will be examined in consultation with government ministries responsible for the relevant policy areas, and further decisions will follow after internal discussions are concluded.
