Update: Check out this must see video of the AP’s Matt Lee grilling State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland over the US UNESCO vote. Sami Kishawi has a full transcript on his blog Sixteen Minutes to Palestine.
The Obama administration has decided to cut off funding for UNESCO because it approved a Palestinian bid for full membership.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says Monday’s vote triggers a long-standing congressional restriction on funding to UN bodies that recognize Palestine as a state before an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is reached . . .
Nuland went on to say the U.S. would refrain from making a $60 million payment it planned to make in November.
But she said the U.S. would maintain membership in the body.
hahaha! I was literally in the process of sending a link to the haaretz article on this……
The Obama Administration: Monument to Efficiency
USA: Palestine is not merely a prisoner, but must be kept in “solitary” — cannot talk to the other children — until the jailer (Israel) is pleased to say it is OK. Someone naughty (UNESCO) made a hole in the wall and now Palestine, still a prisoner, is talking to the other children. Tsk, tsk. BAD UNESCO! BAD KITTY!
Simple fix. Abstain from UNSC vote on Palestinian membership in UN, and both provisions in law are obviated on recognition of Palestinian admission to UN as a member state.
Victoria Nuland is quoted as saying:
“But she said the U.S. would maintain membership in the body. “The UNESCO General Conference’s action does not diminish our determination to work with UNESCO to advance U.S. national interests. Therefore, we will maintain our membership in UNESCO and our commitment to UNESCO,” the State Department said. ”
But if you don’t pay your UNESCO dues then you are not eligible to vote so it’s a pretty toothless membership that the US will be left with.
USA – cutting off its nose to spite its face for Israel since 1948 ;)
“before an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is reached . .”
According to the Radio Erewan , wars are permanently gone from our globe. Instead ,we only have “struggles for Peace.” As a result of those “struggles for peace” , a stone upon a stone won’t be left in one piece all over our tired mother Earth.