US To Lose Decision-Making Vote At UNESCO Over Arrears Linked To Palestinian Membership

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

BY THOMAS ADAMSON, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NOVEMBER 7, 2013 1:10 PM

PARIS - American influence in culture, science and education around the world is facing a high-profile blow Friday as the U.S. is stripped of its voting rights at the world's cultural agency, UNESCO. And it would cost the U.S. hundreds of millions of dollars to win this voice back.

The U.S. hasn't paid its dues to the Paris-based U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in three years, in protest over the decision by world governments to make Palestine a UNESCO member in 2011. The move was prompted by U.S. laws that force an automatic funding freeze on any agency that has Palestine as a member.

Under UNESCO rules, the U.S. has until Friday morning to resume funding, or it automatically loses its vote.

The suspension of U.S. contributions, which account for $80 million a year — 22 per cent of UNESCO's overall budget — brought the agency to the brink of a financial crisis and forced it to cut American-led initiatives such as Holocaust education and tsunami research over the past two years.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/world/lose+decisionmaking+vote+UNESCO+over+arrears+linked/9138645/story.html

[geek tragedy]

1. Can we send the bill to AIPAC? nt

[Link Speed]

4. Oh, come on, now

Do you really think AIPAC had a hand in that?


(I don't know how to do the 'sarcasm' thingie)

[geek tragedy]

6. colonsarcasmcolon

[AtheistCrusader]

2. Haven't we had our turn in the sun?

Let the vote power pass. We could stand to listen more, talk less.

[dotymed]

7. Sadly, I agree.

As long as America is run by and advocating (loudly) a corporatist agenda. Maybe "we" should just listen. Hopefully we can do this for
less money considering what the corporatist agenda has done to our nation.

[Ash_F]

3. Why would they object to the inclusion?

Just to be a dick?

"Some fear this debacle is just the tip of the iceberg, and worry about more serious consequences if Palestine joins other agencies such as the World Health Organization."

Oh no not the WHO! Next step: Sharia in America

[bobclark86]

15. Because it means legitimizing Palestine...

UNESCO means WHO, which eventually means member status in the U.N. General Assembly, which means a chance (a high one) of a rotating seat on the Security Council. A U.N. member state of Palestine means Israel can't bomb the crap out of terror cells in Gaza whenever they want to, as an actual Palestinian government can sign treaties with the less-tolerant Arab nations for defense.

That's a major problem for the administration, as about 2/3 of Americans support Israel. That's why every Congress votes to move the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Israel, and most Americans, don't want to legitimize a group who thinks the Holocaust was made up and is bent on eradicating Jews from the face of the earth.

Don't really care either way, myself, but that's how this works.

[Ash_F]

16. Nonsense. /nt

[azurnoir]

17. well for someone who doesn't care one way or the other

I must ask where ever do you get your information? It sounds really foxy to me and you left out this little detail it's called the Arab Peace Initiative which Israel has downed down out of hand twice once as recently as this past year

it states in part (full document at the link)

After the Council heard the statement of Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz in which he called for the establishment of normal relations in the context of a comprehensive peace with Israel, and that Israel declares its readiness to withdraw from the occupied Arab territories in compliance with United Nations resolutions 242 and 338 and Security Council resolution 1397, enhanced by the Madrid conference and the land-for-peace principle, and the acceptance of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital, the Council calls on the Israeli government to review its policy and to resort to peace while declaring that just peace is its strategic option.

http://www.al-bab.com/arab/docs/league/peace02.htm

[bobclark86]

18. This is the Arab Peace Initiative to Israel:

1) Give up half their territory, including the capital.

2) Let a ton of poor refugees into their country (who hate you, btw, and are led by people who bomb your buses and such) and make Israel support them.

3) Be OK with yet another recognized country with a standing army and support for terrorist groups to be located within pistol shot of their capital ... actually, in their capital.

In return, Israel gets, well, nothing, except a vague promise to be left alone (Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria, Iran, et al will adhere? The guys blowing up buses and hosting conferences about how millions of Jews were NOT rounded up and exterminated? I'll believe that when me shit turns purple and smells like rainbow sherbet...)

Yeah, I see why they're jumping to get in on that deal.

And no, I don't really care. There is no good answer in the Middle East, and my caring there extends pretty much to us NOT killing Muslims for Halliburton. I do seem to remember strong support for Israel as part of the Democratic Party platform (Yeah, the shout-down over Jerusalem as the capital at the last convention, but there's tons of stuff in the platform about Israel), but in all honestly, it's not a priority for me.

DNC platform = Fox News? Good to know...

[azurnoir]

19. what a hateful bigoted post BTW no one is asking Israel to give up one inch of Israeli territory

the POTUS and SOS are going against what you claim to be the the DNC platform ?

[okaawhatever]

5. Something worth putting our money in and we don't continue our commitment. We need to pay our dues

this is a worthy cause. The tea baggers and right wing Jewish lobbies shouldn't dictate policy on this one.

[Bigmack]

8. YES!!!!!!!!! nt

Ms Bigmack's post

[karynnj]

9. So our action because Palestine was let in led to a loss of Holocaust education

That makes lots of sense!

We need to get rid of that law.

[groundloop]

13. Yes, that law needs to go..... but won't happen with the current House

I'm positive all the teabaggers and many mainstream conservatives are loving this. Anything at all to hurt the UN, and our standing in the UN, is exactly what they want.

One of the articles on this situation said that President Obama is working to get the law changed, but it won't happen until Speaker Pelosi is back in charge in the House.

[melody]

10. I think we need to put the money to more important things

... like American kids going hungry.

This is just Canadian strutting.

[Arcanetrance]

11. Holocaust education shouldn't be cut that to me seems like something important

[underpants]

12. The US was in arrears on UN payments until Ted Turner covered for us in the 1990's

Sen Jesse Helms (R- NC) stalled our payments for years.

I would not be surprised if that (they) are the cause of this as well.

[madrchsod]

14. oh well... another blow to the empire