US threatens UNESCO over Palestine

[Mr.Toyo]

The United States has threatened to cut off its funds to UNESCO, if the UN organization recognizes Palestine as a full member of the United Nations.

According to AFP, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland gave the warning on Wednesday, adding that there would be serious repercussions for the UN body.
She said: “We've made the point that there are very clear red lines in US legislation.”
US legislation requires that funds to any UN body which recognizes Palestine as a full UN member be cut off.
The US currently provides 22 percent of the UNESCO budget.
UNESCO's executive committee on October 5 overwhelmingly voted to approve the Palestinian membership bid at the UN. The decision needs the approval of the general assembly of the organization.
On September 23, acting Palestinian Authority (PA) Chief Mahmoud Abbas presented UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with the statehood proposal during the UN General Assembly's annual session in New York, based on the pre-1967 borders.
The US has repeatedly threatened to veto the bid at the UN Security Council. Washington, however, does not have a veto power at the UNESCO.

SOURCE: US threatens UNESCO over Palestine

 

[Bantugbro]

The United States has threatened to cut off its funds to UNESCO, if the UN organization recognizes Palestine as a full member of the United Nations.

According to AFP, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland gave the warning on Wednesday, adding that there would be serious repercussions for the UN body.
She said: “We've made the point that there are very clear red lines in US legislation.”
US legislation requires that funds to any UN body which recognizes Palestine as a full UN member be cut off.
The US currently provides 22 percent of the UNESCO budget.
UNESCO's executive committee on October 5 overwhelmingly voted to approve the Palestinian membership bid at the UN. The decision needs the approval of the general assembly of the organization.
On September 23, acting Palestinian Authority (PA) Chief Mahmoud Abbas presented UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with the statehood proposal during the UN General Assembly's annual session in New York, based on the pre-1967 borders.
The US has repeatedly threatened to veto the bid at the UN Security Council. Washington, however, does not have a veto power at the UNESCO.

SOURCE: US threatens UNESCO over Palestine

Ubabe mwingine wala hauna maana!

 

[ngoshwe]

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UN cultural body admits Palestine as full member despite US threat to cut off tens of millions of dollars in funding.

The Palestinian bid received 107 yes votes, while 14 countries voted against and 52 others abstained [EPA]​ The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) voted on Monday to admit Palestine as a member, a move which is likely to cause the US government to cut off tens of millions of dollars in annual funding to the body. The Palestinian bid received 107 "yes" votes during a UNESCO meeting in Paris, with 14 countries voting against and 52 abstaining, enough to satisfy a two-thirds majority of those countries present and voting. The decision grants full membership to Palestine, which has had observer status since 1974; it allows the Palestinians to register certain sites, like the Church of the Nativity, in UNESCO's World Heritage register. Riad al-Malki, the Palestinian foreign minister, said the vote would help to "preserve cultural heritage in Palestine." It is a small victory for the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which filed a bid last month for full membership at the UN. The bid has been stalled for weeks at the UN Security Council, and will likely face a US veto when it comes to a vote. The "yes" vote at UNESCO will add at least symbolic weight to the PLO's argument that the UN should recognise a Palestinian state. "It's good news. It's another step in the right direction," said Husam Zomlot, a PLO member and former ambassador. "We're marching towards full status in the international system. UNESCO is a very important organisation." Israel was quick to criticise the decision: Nimrod Barkan, the Israeli representative to UNESCO, called the vote "tragic for the idea of UNESCO". US funding cut? Israel voted against the measure, as did the US, Canada and several European countries, including Germany. The UK abstained, while France voted in favour. Ahmed Yousef, a Hamas official and the deputy foreign minister in Gaza, called it a "great achievement" and said the vote "shows that Israel and America are not dictating politics to the world anymore". Mouin Rabbani, an analyst at the Institute for Palestinian Studies in Amman, said the vote would make it harder for those countries to successfully oppose Palestinian efforts for recognition. "What they're doing is developing leverage over the Americans, the Europeans, the Israelis, so these parties begin to take them more seriously," Rabbani said. The vote will almost certainly trigger a US law, passed in 1990, which bars the US from funding any UN agency "which accords the Palestine Liberation Organisation the same standing as member states". The US provides about $80m per year, or 22 per cent of the agency's total budget. David Killion, the US representative at UNESCO, said the decision would "complicate our ability to support UNESCO," and reiterated the Obama adminstration's past criticism of Palestinian bids for UN recognition. "The only way forward to the Palestinian state we seek is through negotiations," Killion said. "We believe efforts such as what we have seen today are counterproductive." The president can often override such laws with a so-called "national security waiver"; these waivers allow the PLO to maintain a mission in Washington, for example, despite a 1987 law barring it. But the 1990 law on UN funding, and a similar measure passed in 1994, do not provide the option of a waiver. Victoria Nuland, a spokeswoman for the US state department, would not say whether the US was pressuring Congress to issue such a waiver. "We are not going to create a Palestinian state at UNESCO," Nuland said last week. "There are consequences if UNESCO votes in this direction." The European Union tried to stop the PLO bid by offering them limited membership on UNESCO's executive committee, and funds to renovate the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus. The PLO rejected that offer, with one official telling the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz that "the EU [was] trying to tempt us with money to sell our principles". http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/10/2011103172551498181.html

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[KunjyGroup]

US cuts Unesco funds over vote for Palestinian seat

The United States is cancelling funding for the UN cultural body Unesco after it voted to grant full membership to the Palestinians.

The motion was passed by a substantial majority, despite strong opposition from the United States and Israel.

A US state department spokeswoman said a payment of some $60m (£37m) due next month would not be made.

This is the first UN agency the Palestinians have sought to join since submitting their bid for recognition to the Security Council in September.

The UN Security Council will vote next month on whether to grant the Palestinians full UN membership.

Widespread applause greeted the result of Monday's vote in the chamber - of 173 countries taking part, 107 were in favour, 14 voted against and 52 abstained.

Arab states were instrumental in getting the vote passed despite intense opposition from the US.

In an emotional session, China, Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa voted in favour of Palestinian membership, while the US, Canada and Germany voted against and the UK abstained.

Viva Palestine. Nimefurahi. Marekani na Israel wake wamehaibika.

 

[BabuK]

Palestine won full admission into UNESCO, the United Nations science, education and cultural heritage organization, in a closely watched vote in Paris Monday. Global diplomacy hands view the 107-14 vote as a benchmark carrying larger implications for the Palestinians' bid for state recognition before the UN Security Council. Both the United States and Israel have strongly opposed both initiatives. The United States, Israel, Canada, Germany, Sweden and Australia were among the 14 nations voting against the Palestinians' UNESCO bid, while 107 countries--including France, Spain, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, India, Russia, China, South Africa and Indonesia--voted in favor. Fourteen nations--including the United Kingdom and Italy--abstained.
Washington, which called the UNESCO vote "premature" Monday, has threatened to cut off funding to UNESCO if Palestine is granted membership. The United States currently accounts for about one-fifth of the organization's budget.
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also rejected the UNESCO vote, and warned it would set back peace process.
"This is a unilateral Palestinian maneuver which will bring no change on the ground but further removes the possibility for a peace agreement," the Israeli ministry said in a statement. "This decision will not turn the Palestinian Authority into an actual state yet places unnecessary burdens on the route to renewing negotiations."
Palestine's successful UNESCO bid comes as Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair is due to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House Monday.
Blair has been trying to advance the Quartet's efforts to get the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table, asking each side to lay out their specific terms for resolving the issues of borders and security for a two-state solution. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have been depicting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as an unworthy peace partner.
Abbas, in turn, has recently reiterated his periodic threat to dissolve the Palestinian Authority--a move that if carried out would presumably give Israel the burden of administering, funding, and coordinating security for the West Bank's Palestinian population.

 

[Mr.Right]

Pesa hainunui Utu. Dunia nzima imekubali maombi ya Palestina, na wametupilia mbali hela za Marekani ambazo walitishia kutozitoa kama UNESCO wakikubali maombi ya Palestina.

Hii ni aibu kwa Marekani.

 

[MaxShimba]

Defund this organization, get out of it and get it out of the U.S.! Convert their building into a giant 'Soup Kitchen"!

 

[SHERRIF ARPAIO]

US cuts Unesco funds over vote for Palestinian seat

The United States is cancelling funding for the UN cultural body Unesco after it voted to grant full membership to the Palestinians.

The motion was passed by a substantial majority, despite strong opposition from the United States and Israel.

A US state department spokeswoman said a payment of some $60m (£37m) due next month would not be made.

This is the first UN agency the Palestinians have sought to join since submitting their bid for recognition to the Security Council in September.

The UN Security Council will vote next month on whether to grant the Palestinians full UN membership.

Widespread applause greeted the result of Monday's vote in the chamber - of 173 countries taking part, 107 were in favour, 14 voted against and 52 abstained.

Arab states were instrumental in getting the vote passed despite intense opposition from the US.

In an emotional session, China, Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa voted in favour of Palestinian membership, while the US, Canada and Germany voted against and the UK abstained.

Viva Palestine. Nimefurahi. Marekani na Israel wake wamehaibika. Pumbafu

Lakini ukumbuke US wakigoma kutoa hela za kuiendesha UN basi ndio mwisho wa UN.

 

[jamii01]

Marekani imefuta mchango wake wa fedha kwa Shirika la Elimu Sayansi na Utamaduni la Umoja wa Mataifa, Unesco baada ya shirika hilo kuruhusu Palestina kuwa mwanachama kamili.

Uingereza ilisusia kura


Uamuzi wa kuipa Palestina uanachama wa shirika hilo ulipitishwa na idadi kubwa ya wanachama licha ya upinzani mkubwa kutoka wajumbe wa Marekani na Israel.


Msemaji wa wizara ya mambo ya nje ya Marekani ametangaza kuwa malipo ya dola milioni 60 yaliyokuwa yatolewe mwezi ujao hayatatolewa na serikali hiyo.
Ada ya uanachama inayolipwa na Marekani ni moja ya tano ya bajeti ya mwaka ya Unesco.
Hili ni shirika la kwanza la Umoja wa Mataifa limeruhusu Palestina kujiunga nalo tangu utawala huo uwasilishe ombi lake la kutaka kutambuliwa kama taifa kwa Baraza la Usalama la Umoja wa Mataifa mwezi Septemba mwaka huu.
Baraza la Usalama la Umoja huo litapiga kura mwezi ujao kuamua iwapo Palestina itaruhusiwa kuwa mwanachama.
Uamuzi wa Unesco kuikubalia Palestina uanachama umepongezwa na wengi kufuatia matokeo ya Jumatatu ambapo kati ya nchi 173 zilizoshiriki kupiga kura, 107 zilikubali, 14 zilipinga na 52 hazikupiga kura.
"Hii ni siku ya kihistoria," amesema naibu waziri wa Palestina wa mambo ya kale Hamdan Taha, akielezea suala hilo kila mahali huko Ramallah.
Uanachama katika Unesco unaweza kuonekana kuwa jambo geni na hatua moja kwa Wapalestina kupata taifa lao.
Lakini viongozi wanaona kuwa ni sehemu ya hatua kubwa ya kusukuma azma yao ya kutambuliwa kama taifa na kuishinikiza Israel.
Viongozi wakipalestina wanaiona kuwa hatua ya mwanzo ya ile muhimu zaidi mwezi ujao, wakati Baraza la Usalama la Umoja wa Mataifa litakapoamua iwapo wapewe uanachama wa kudumu.
Marekani ina kura ya turufu katika Baraza hilo na imetishia kuitumia kupinga Palestina kuruhusiwa kuwa mwanachama wa Umoja wa Mataifa.
Marekani haina nguvu hiyo katika Unesco na badala yake ilijaribu kushawishi nchi wanachama wengine kutoiunga mkono Palestina katika ombi lake.
Huenda kuwa Marekani itafuta michango yake kwa Unesco ipatayo dola milioni 70 kwa mwaka sawa na asilimia 22 ya bajeti yake ya mwaka.
Lakini wanachama wa Unesco wameonekana kutoa kipaumbele kwa masuala ya siasa badala ya fedha, wakiunga mkono ombi la Palestina.
"Huku ni kushindwa kwa Marekani" afisa mmoja wa Palestina alisema.
Matokeo haya yatamwongezea umaarufu Rais wa Wapalestina Mahmoud Abbas.
Rais Abba alipoteza jukwaa la kisiasa kwa wapinzani wake, Hamas wakati kikundi hicho cha kilipofanikisha kuachiliwa kwa mamia ya wafungwa wa Kipalestina katika magereza ya Israel walipobadilishana wafungwa hao na askari mmoja wa Israel Gilad Shalit aliyetekwa nyara kwa muda mrefu.
Nchi za Kiarabu zilikuwa msingi wa Palestina kushinda katika azma yake licha ya upinzani mkali kutoka kwa Marekani.
Katika kikao hicho, Uchina, Urusi, India, Brazil na Afrika Kusini zilipigia kura ombi la Palestina kuomba uanachama wa Unesco, huku Marekani, Canada na Ujerumani zikipinga na Uingereza haikupiga kura.

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

Marekani ni kibaraka mkubwa wa Israil kila neno au jambo linalohusu Wapalestina Marekani hupinga eeeh hii dunia inaendeshwa kimabavu bavu Mwenye nguvu mpishe apite Nyie Wa Marekani hamna huruma hata kidogo? Waacheni hao wapalestina wapumue japo kidogo Ahhhh

 

[Mr.Toyo]

Wajumbe wa UNESCO

[h=4]Mamlaka ya Palestina jana imepata ushindi mkubwa wa kihistoria baada ya UNESCO kuitunuku uanachama kamili wa shirika hilo.[/h]Hatua hiyo iliungwa mkono na theluthi mbili ya wanachama wa shirika hilo la elimu na utamaduni la umoja wa mataifa. Hata hivyo ilikosolewa vikali na Israel na mshirika wake wa karibu Marekani.

Ikulu ya Marekani ilisema hatua hiyo inadhohofisha mazungumzo ya moja kwa moja kati ya Israel na Palestina. Na Msemaji wa Wizara ya Mambo ya Ndani wa Marekani Victoria Nuland amesema Marekani inatarajia kusitisha mchango wake kwa shirika hilo unaonzia kiasi cha dola milioni 60 kwa mwezi huu. Rais wa Palestina aliomba nafasi ya kuwa mwanachama kamili wa UNESCO Septemba mwaka huu.

 

[Marytina]

long live israel

 

[Kinyungu]

pesa hainunui utu. Dunia nzima imekubali maombi ya palestina, na wametupilia mbali hela za marekani ambazo walitishia kutozitoa kama unesco wakikubali maombi ya palestina.

Hii ni aibu kwa marekani.

hamna aibu yoyote na usa+israel huwa hawashindwi kitu. We'll be back through the back door. Period

 

[BinMgen]

Lakini ukumbuke US wakigoma kutoa hela za kuiendesha UN basi ndio mwisho wa UN.

Nibora ifike mwisho! hamna lolote ila kuizinisha dhuluma tu, UN ni kitanzi cha America kuwanyongea anaowachukia.

 

[TIQO]

Wamarekani ndo wanao chochea vita ya wa Israel na Palestina watajiju

 

[Nonda]

Palestinians get Unesco seat as 107 vote in favour

The UN cultural organisation has voted strongly in favour of membership for the Palestinians - a move opposed by Israel and the United States. Of 173 countries voting, 107 were in favour, 14 opposed and 52 abstained.

In response, Washington announced it is cutting funding to Unesco. Its membership dues provide around a fifth of the organisation's budget.

The UN Security Council will vote next month on whether to grant the Palestinians full UN membership.

BBC News - Palestinians get Unesco seat as 107 vote in favour

 

[Nonda]

US condemns UNESCO over Palestine vote - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

 

[Bukayo jr]

Usa ni washenzi,berbaric,greedy,hypocreities na ma beberu nadhani One day utafikaga mwisho wao tu...yani wanaanzisha Road map ya amani kati ya islael na palestina ila wanafiki wakubwa waipendelea islael wazi wazi,Benjamin netanyahu anatamka wazi hawezi kurejea mipaka yao na palestina ya 1969 na still there some people whom when islael attacks palestinians refugee camps and kill women and children wanasema "let them defend themselves" wapalestina wakimuuwa hata mjewish mmoja all international world conderm and curse eti materrorist? We mtu unamkalia kimabavu hadi kwenye ardhi yake,you denie them to form a goverment,you kill their leader,you denie them any international assistance on food,health whatever.....AMERICA IS THE MOST TERRORISING NATION IN THE WORLD IN THE SHADOW OF DEMOCRACY...

 

[Marytina]

[h=1]Israel to speed up settler homes after Unesco vote[/h]

Continue reading the main story
Israel says it will speed up Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem - and temporarily freeze the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority.

The announcement comes a day after the Palestinians won full membership of the UN cultural organisation, Unesco.
Palestinian Authoirty President Mahmoud Abbas says the move will speed up the destruction of the peace process.
The Israeli government has described the Unesco vote as a "tragedy".
A spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry, Yigal Palmor, told the BBC the measures were designed to increase pressure on the Palestinians.
Mr Palmor said they were "a response to unilateral measures aimed at confronting Israel at the UN and elsewhere on the international scene".
"They [the Palestinians] shouldn't be wasting time by all these manoeuvres. They should continue to negotiate," he said.
The Israeli government said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called for the accelerated construction of about 2,000 housing units.
It said the construction will be in "areas that in any future arrangement will remain in Israel's hands", according to a statement quoted by Reuters news agency.
The BBC's Kevin Connolly in Jerusalem says the announcement will be seen as a punishment for the Palestinians and a warning to countries that backed their Unesco bid that Israel will react strongly if a similar application for Palestinian membership of the UN itself should prove successful.
Peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel broke down more than a year ago. The Palestinians are demanding an end to settlement building.
Almost 500,000 Jews live in settlements on occupied territory. The settlements are illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.
'Stealing money' The Palestinian presidency said the decision to speed up settlement construction amounted to a decision to "speed up the destruction of the peace process".

Unesco is the first UN agency the Palestinians have sought to join since submitting their recognition bid.
Nabil Abu Rudeina, the spokesman for Mr Abbas, said the decision to withhold funds collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority was "stealing money from the Palestinian people."
It will be the second time this year that Israel has withheld the revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
The money, which include duties on goods being imported to the Palestinian territories, amounts to about $100m each month - half of the PA's domestic revenue base.
Israel withheld the revenues earlier this year after Mr Abbas concluded a reconciliation agreement with Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza.
The United States announced it was cancelling funding for the UN cultural body Unesco after it voted on Monday to grant full membership to the Palestinians.
Membership dues paid by the US account for about a fifth of the organisation's annual budget.
Unesco is the first UN agency the Palestinians have sought to join since submitting their bid for recognition to the Security Council in September.
The UN Security Council will vote next month on whether to grant the Palestinians full UN membership

 

[NICK2275]

palestina watapatra tabu sana