The United States will not pay $60 million to a U.N. cultural and educational agency after it voted Monday to accept the Palestinian mission as a full member, triggering a U.S. requirement to cut off funds.
“We are not going to be able to continue contributing to the budget,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. “Palestinian membership as a state in UNESCO triggers longstanding legislative restrictions which will compel the United States to refrain from making contributions to UNESCO.”
Washington is required by law to cut off funding to any U.N. agency if the Palestinian Liberation Organization is granted membership in any group at the international body.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization voted 107-14 with 52 abstentions on Monday granting Palestinians full membership in the organization. The U.S. voted against the nomination. Eighty-one votes of the 173 UNESCO members were needed for full membership to be approved.
“Long Live Palestine!” one delegate reportedly shouted in French at the meeting.
The U.S. funds about 22 percent of UNESCO’s budget, or roughly $80 million annually. Nuland said the $60 million was scheduled to be sent in November.
“We obviously have to comply with U.S. law, to comply with U.S. restrictions. That said, we will have a conversation with Congress on moving forward,” she said.
Nuland said that if the U.S. ends up in arrears it could challenge U.S. membership status.
The U.S. rejoined UNESCO in 2002, after having left the organization 19 years earlier.
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8 Responses
Good. Stay Out
While I can’t stand the Obama administration, gotta give credit where it’s due and I appreciate their relatively pro-Israel stance with regards to not approving a Palestinian state.
I wonder if they’ll just end up giving it at a later date, not at the time it is supposed to be given.
Credit for following the law? Already looks like they are trying to amend the law.
“Victoria Nuland said. “Palestinian membership as a state in UNESCO triggers longstanding legislative restrictions which will compel the United States to refrain from making contributions to UNESCO.”
“We obviously have to comply with U.S. law, to comply with U.S. restrictions. That said, we will have a conversation with Congress on moving forward,” she said.
This wasn’t obama’s doing. This is controlled by the house which is controlled by the republicans. That’s right, give credit where credit is due.
You think the anti-Semite obama would have the guts to pull a stunt like this?
MichaelB,
Before crediting the Obama administration with this move, I think you should check to see if they even had the power to stop Congress from stopping funding. I don’t believe they did
MichaelB,
Obama felt back stabbed, he wanted to be the one that got Palestine to be a state while simultaneously making peace with Israel
We should just get out of the UN completely and then throw them out of NY.