Zarif mockingly calls on Israel, U.S. to withdraw from planet earth
Jerusalem and Washington formally left UNESCO on January 1st over its anti-Israel bias.
BY TOVAH LAZAROFF, ANNA AHRONHEIM
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif mockingly suggested that Israel and the United States should leave planet earth in a tweet after the two countries withdrew from the UN’s cultural agency on Monday.
Washington has withdrawn from several agreements under President Trump, including the Iran nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal as well as the Paris climate accord, Zarif explained.
He joked that the US and Israel have no other international agreement to withdraw from, other than leaving the earth.
“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?”
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?
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 1, 2019
Israel had been a member state of UNESCO since 1949. Nine sites in Israel are included in the organization’s World Heritage List.
Both Israel and the US stopped paying their annual dues in 2011 after UNESCO became the first UN body to recognize Palestine as a state. Israel now owes UNESCO more than $8.5 million and the US owes upwards of $617 million.
Both countries announced that they would leave UNESCO in 2017 and formally left on Tuesday, January 1, over what the two countries say is the organization’s anti-Israel bias.
Nikki Haley, the former US ambassador to the United Nations also issued a harsh assessment of UNESCO on Tuesday calling the agency corrupt on Twitter.
“UNESCO is among the most corrupt and politically biased UN agencies. Today the U.S. withdrawal from this cesspool became official. #USStrong,” she tweeted.
UNESCO is among the most corrupt and politically biased UN agencies. Today the U.S. withdrawal from this cesspool became official. #USStrong❤️
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) January 2, 2019
Outgoing US Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen wrote, “I fought every year to defund UNESCO in our Congressional budget and we were successful most of the time but these crooks managed to get many Congressional backers because they name pretty places as historical sites as they slam Israel every day.”
PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat tweeted that Israel’s withdrawal was a victory for Palestinian nationalism.
“Israel withdrew from UNESCO, because Palestinians are there as members. How about withdrawing from the occupied state of Palestine, because Palestinians will always be there as its owners,” Erekat tweeted.
In June, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boycotted a UNESCO forum on antisemitism on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s opening session in New York, saying that the agency singles out the Jewish state over other countries.
“Since 2009, UNESCO has passed 71 resolutions condemning Israel and only two resolutions condemning all other countries combined. This is simply outrageous,” he said. “The mark of antisemitism was once singling out the Jewish people for slander and condemnation. The mark of antisemitism today is singling out the Jewish state for slander and condemnation.”
Zarif’s tweet came a day after he had tweeted New Year’s greetings, calling for a peaceful New Year.
Wishing everyone across the globe — from all races, religions and ethnicities — a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. Let us all resolve to ensure that no innocent man, woman or child is killed or starved due to conflict, terror, aggression and coercion in 2019.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) December 31, 2018
“Wishing everyone across the globe — from all races, religions and ethnicities — a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. Let us all resolve to ensure that no innocent man, woman or child is killed or starved due to conflict, terror, aggression and coercion in 2019,” Zarif tweeted on December 31.
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Originally published at www.jpost.com.
