Major Diplomatic Win For Palestinians As UNESCO Bid Approved

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) approved on Monday Palestine as a full member, a move which will likely cause the US administration to cut some US$80 million in annual funding, say some 22% of the total budget of this U.N. body. The Palestinian bid received 107 “yes” votes during a UNESCO meeting in Paris, with 14 nations voting against and 52 abstaining.

It is a symbolic victory for the Palestine Liberation Organization, which its U.N. bid for full membership has been stalled for weeks.

According to the AP, Nimrod Barkan, the Israeli representative to UNESCO, called the decision “tragic for the idea of UNESCO.”

David Killion, the US representative at UNESCO, said the decision would “complicate our ability to support UNESCO.”