The United Nations’ cultural agency has selected France’s Audrey Azoulay as its new director general, two diplomatic sources said on Friday.

UNESCO’s executive board voted 30 to 28 in favour of Azoulay, who is a Jewish former French culture minister, against Qatar’s Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari, who had been dogged by accusation of anti-Semitism during the voting process.

It will now be put forward for approval to UNESCO’s 195 members on Nov. 10.

Reports of Azoulay’s win come a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed Israel’s Foreign Ministry to lay the groundwork for Israel’s withdrawal from UNESCO, immediately following a similar announcement by the U.S., that said it was leaving the organization due to its anti-Israel bias.

Source: PNN