13 May, 2017
The Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, Emmanuel Nahshon, wrote on Twitter "Israel is angered by Sweden's vote in favour of the draft resolution".
Netanyahu went on to note, however, that the number of countries who voted in favor of the resolution had dropped significantly compared to similar UNESCO resolutions in the past, reflecting what he described as Israel's growing diplomatic influence.
At its Paris headquarters on Tuesday, Israel's independence day, UNESCO's executive board committee passed a resolution declaring the nation's claim to Jerusalem "null and void".
Previous presidents like Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had said they would move the embassy to Jerusalem while campaigning but didn't follow through on the pledge, Politico noted.
He singled out the United States for voting against the resolution; in December as one of the Obama administration's last acts, the US abstained from a U.N. Security Council resolution which condemned Israeli settlements. Israeli authorities have criticized the resolution and refused to abide by its provisions.
Israel has condemned a Unesco resolution that criticises the country's excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem, a flashpoint area holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians alike.
It was then voted for by Russia, China, Brazil, Sweden, South Africa, Iran, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Chad and seven Arab countries. He also thanked the countries that abstained from voting.
Netanyahu's statement marks the third time in less than a year that Israel has reacted to United Nations resolutions it deems biased against it by announcing the slashing of its payments to the body.
The UNESCO resolution said Israel had taken actions that have "altered, or purport to alter, the character and status of the Holy City". "Their refusal to agree to the outrageous charges leveled by the UNESCO Executive Board is a small but significant moral achievement for Israel and all purveyors of democracy within the global community".
"We will defend our heritage and culture, our past and our future", Malki said, according to media reports.
"UNESCO again accepted an absurd resolution yesterday about the status of Jerusalem - the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years", Netanyahu said at the opening of a cabinet meeting.
The resolution is similar to a previous UNESCO decision passed a year ago, which sharply criticized Israel's management of Palestinian religious sites, including al-Aqsa mosque.
