Benjamin Netanyahu backed out of addressing a UNESCO event about antisemitism to avoid angering the US, it has been reported.

According to Israel's Channel 10, the Israeli prime minister originally planned to speak at the event, which took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last week, but pulled out so as not to conflict with the American stance on the organisation.

UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay is understood to have invited Mr Netanyahu in August to the event in a bid to thaw relations between Israel and UNESCO.

Mr Netanyahu said he was open to attending provided he could speak first for at least nine minutes, it was reported.

But on Saturday, Channel 10 reported he had refused the invitation last week because he did not want to anger the United States, which has taken a hardline against UNESCO under the Trump administration and announced last October it quit the body.

Mr Netanyahu issued a statement condemning UNESCO and reaffirming Israel's decision to leave the body.

He said: "While I commend all efforts to combat antisemitism, I have decided not to participate in this week’s UNESCO conference on antisemitism due to the organisation’s persistent and egregious bias against Israel.

"“Since 2009, UNESCO has passed 71 resolutions condemning Israel and only two resolutions condemning all other countries combined... This is simply outrageous.”

But Western diplomats told Channel 10: "Netanyahu’s statement was fake news. He simply ignored all the positive changes toward Israel that took place over the past year at UNESCO.

"It’s sad and upsetting that this is the behavior of the prime minister of Israel."