Karl Vick writes: Monday’s lopsided 106-14 vote in Paris serves as a reminder of the popularity most of the world feels for the Palestinian bid for full membership in the U.N. itself. That application is now pending before the U.N. Security Council, where the United States is threatening to use its veto — but really, really would rather not. In light of the Arab Spring and other perceptual challenges, Washington would much prefer that the Palestinians simply fail to muster the nine votes necessary to move the application forward at all. At least a couple of non-permanent Council members are on the fence, and the hope in Ramallah is that this gust from the Unesco vote — cheers went up in the assembly hall when the final tally was announced — might tip them their way.
Elise Labott at CNN writes: The U.S. didn’t waste any time cutting funding for UNESCO after the United Nations devoted to promoting education, culture and science granted the Palestinians full membership.
Currently the U.S. covers approximately one fifth of the UNESCO costs but by cutting that funding it will be even harder for the American agenda at UNESCO to be accomplished.
That agenda is not just about protecting previous cultural sites, or teaching Afghan women, children and even police officers to read, or about helping to continue the Tsunami early warning system. It’s also about protecting Israel.
The irony of the decision to cut funding is that UNESCO is one of the few United Nations groups where the U.S. finds a sympathetic ear on issues related to Israel. UNESCO is actively working with America to promote tolerance and is working to deepen understanding of the Holocaust in countries where people don’t even believe it existed.
Even more important U.S. interests will be at stake if the World Intellectual Property Organization grants Palestinians membership, which as an affiliate of UNESCO they are almost certain to do. That is where you start directly encountering obvious and significant interests to American business. When an intellectual property dispute involves the Googles or the Apples of the world and China, it is critical for the U.S. to be a member of good standing, which it will not be if Congress cuts funding.
Even more concerning is when the Palestinians make good on their promise to apply for membership to other U.N. bodies, like the International Atomic Energy Organization, which the U.S. views as critical to curbing Iran’s nuclear program. Or the World Heath Organization, where US money spent goes directly to keeping people alive.
A cut in funding to these UN agencies will mean more than a loss of U.S. influence and prestige. It has the potential to affect American national security in ways lawmakers may not have envisioned when it passed the legislation as a punitive measure.
Unless Congress grants President Obama waiver authority to continue funding to specific U.N. agencies that grant Palestinian membership, it won’t just be the Palestinians who are punished.
Hooray! Some good news at last. I am glad France said “oui” despite Sharkozy(sic) and will be delighted if the loss of influence by the USA mentioned by Elise Labott comes to pass. What a disgrace that a superpower can be led by a tiny, warped criminal state to such sma
sorry-hit wrong button- smallminded acts as rejecting Palestine in UNESCO (as if the USA has any interest in culture-look at their Burgerkingmaking in Iraq)
That old adage about “careful what you wish for” sure holds true here. Another might be “cutting off ones nose to spite ones face” could apply. What’s one more slight for the Congress of the U.S., the dilettantes are so delusional from drinking the kool-aid, what difference does it make!
Whoever is advising Abbas and the PA should be thanked. You have flushed out Obama and the US as being against the 2 state solution and keep talking until there is no land left to build a state for the Palestinians.
US Congress = Israeli Occupied Territory
How long and how many more ‘shooting themselves in the foot’ fiascos will it take before America realises that its unquestioning and extravagant support for every act against international law and common decency of the Zionists is harmful to its own interests? With ample examples of America’s brutal actions in pursuit of what it perceives as its interests, that time will definitely arrive one day. Whoever stands in the way then is likely to be crushed underfoot. Perhaps it’s time for those who have built comfortable lives out of the harm they have caused the state to plan an exit strategy.