After an internal examination prompted by the recent U.S. withdrawal from dozens of international organizations, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar ordered the immediate severing of all contact with several United Nations agencies and international bodies, citing persistent bias against Israel, politicization and inefficiency.
Sa’ar directed the Foreign Ministry to conduct a broader review—together with relevant government ministries—of Israel’s ongoing cooperation with additional international organizations, with further decisions to follow after a more detailed assessment.
Israel had previously disengaged from several U.N. bodies.
Among these is the Office of the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict, which in 2024 placed the Israel Defense Forces on a blacklist alongside terrorist groups such as ISIS and Boko Haram. Israel, the only democracy on the list, cut ties with the office in June 2024.
Israel had also severed relations with the U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWOMEN), accusing the organization of deliberately ignoring sexual violence committed against Israeli women during the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
At Israel’s request, the former local head of UNWOMEN concluded her tenure, and Israel formally terminated its cooperation agreement with the organization in July 2024, notifying the U.N. secretary-general of its decision.
Israel has long been disengaged from U.N. Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), both of which, according to the Foreign Ministry, have produced repeated and virulently anti-Israel reports that have served as a basis for hostile resolutions against the Jewish state.
In addition to these organizations, Sa’ar has now cut ties with the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations, founded by Turkey and Spain, which Israel says has systematically excluded it from participation while functioning as a forum for attacks against Israel under the guise of promoting intercultural dialogue.
Israel will also cut ties with U.N. Energy, which the Foreign Ministry described as emblematic of excessive and ineffective U.N. bureaucracy, and with the Global Forum on Migration and Development, which Israel says undermines the sovereign right of states to enforce their own immigration policies.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that its review of Israel’s engagement with international organizations is ongoing.
