Iran mocks US, Israeli departures from UNESCO

Foreign minister Zarif tweets suggestion that the two “regimes” also withdraw from planet Earth.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Following the American and Israeli administrations’ departure Monday from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and cultural Organization (UNESCO), Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif took to Twitter to ridicule his country’s biggest enemies.

He referred to other international agreements that President Donald Trump had left, including the nuclear deal with Iran, two trade agreements and the Paris Climate accord, and mockingly suggested that nothing else was left except to leave planet Earth as well, along with Israel.

The United States and Israel had given the mandated one-year’s notice of withdrawal at the end of 2017 and carried through with their threat on Monday. The main cause was UNESCO’s refusal to stop bashing the Jewish state, passing of dozens of resolutions condemning Israel and others that erased any Jewish links to its holiest sites.

“After #JCPOA, #NAFTA, #TPP, Climate Convention & …, the Trump regime—along with the Israeli regime—today officially withdrew from #UNESCO. Is anything left for the Trump Administration and its client regime to withdraw from? Perhaps from planet Earth altogether?” Zarif tweeted.

Last year, for example, UNESCO labeled Hebron a “Palestinian heritage site,” although it contains the Machpela Cave in which the Jewish foremothers and forefathers are buried. Egregious resolutions that raised both American and Israeli ire in 2016 included declarations that Israel has no rights to Jerusalem and labeling the Temple Mount and Old City of Jerusalem as Moslem holy sites only.

UNESCO’s self-described mandate is “to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture.” As such, its website boasts that among other tasks, “UNESCO develops educational tools to help people live as global citizens free of hate and intolerance,” and that “by promoting cultural heritage and the equal dignity of all cultures, UNESCO strengthens bonds among nations.”

Outgoing American ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley described the situation Tuesday, making it clear that her country believes that the organization has fallen far from these ideals.

“UNESCO is among the most corrupt and politically biased UN agencies,” Haley tweeted. “Today the U.S. withdrawal from this cesspool became official. #USStrong”

Israel’s UN envoy, Danny Danon, said that his country “will not be a member of an organization whose goal is to deliberately act against us and that has become a tool manipulated by Israel’s enemies.”

He also tweeted: “Remember how @JZarif said in an interview with @LePoint on Dec 19 that no one in Iran wants to annihilate Israel? Well, calling for #Israel (and the #UnitedStates) to withdraw “from planet Earth altogether” sure sounds like calling for the demise of our countries.”