JERUSALEM (MCT) — UNESCO voted overwhelmingly Monday to accept the Palestinian Authority as a member, setting the cultural agency on a confrontational path with the U.S. due to American law that prohibits funding of U.N. entities that grant state status to Palestinians.
If U.S. funding is halted as expected, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization stands to lose about 20 percent of its annual budget, or $70 million. Officials said the loss of American funds would lead to cutbacks in programs and staffing.
Palestinians began pushing for membership in UNESCO earlier this month as part of its campaign to win international statehood recognition following the collapse of peace talks with Israel. The UNESCO vote will likely serve as an important morale booster but is largely symbolic.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, described the vote as “a victory” and said that “it indicates which way the vote would go when Palestine’s application for full U.N. membership comes up.”
