Palestine's UNESCO Membership and Its Consequences

By a large majority of 107 countries in favor, 14 against and 52 abstentions, Palestine has become a member of UNESCO, the Paris-based branch of the United Nations whose mission is to promote culture and education. Concerned with the conservation of world heritage, UNESCO´s recent efforts have been concentrated on the promotion of Africa and gender equality.

The news of the admission of Palestine has been greeted ecstatically in the third world and with concern in the United States (Washington, Italy and Germany voted no). The Americans appear to see two negative elements in the decision. The first is that it will slow down the peace process as the Israelis predictably harden their position; the second is that it will deliver a further blow to the United States´ already tarnished image in the Arab world.

Obama´s policy of encouraging the Arab revolutions while shying away from taking any active role did seem to have reaped some dividends, though these will now be wasted in the wake of the American reaction to UNESCO´s move. This is not because it is now clear that Washington was behind the offensive to block Palestine´s bid, but because the United States, bound by two laws passed in 1990 and 1994, will now withdraw its funding from the organization. The laws specifically state that the U.S. administration may not contribute financially to organizations that admit Palestine if the peace process has not advanced satisfactorily. The hole left in UNESCO´s budget is considerable since the U.S. contribution amounts to around 22 percent of the total. The United States had deserted the United Nations years ago, then returned in 2003 thanks, curiously, to Bush.

The fact that the members of UNESCO, aware of the pressure and the foreseeable cut in American aid, should vote to admit Palestine illustrates America´s decline over recent years. It could be concluded that, despite the hopes raised by Obama, the United States is now less admired, less respected and less feared. The American press, caught up in recent days over the question of sexual harassment allegations against unconventional Republican candidate Herman Cain, contests UNESCO´s decision without devoting much ink to the issue. It considers the decision a mistake, though there are a few, like Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haass, who understand that the Palestinians applied to join the organization, as they did the United Nations, out of pure frustration and desperation at the way they were being treated.

Israel has been quick to react with heavy artillery. It looks likely to freeze the sums it receives on behalf of the Palestinians, which will amount to economic strangulation, and has announced the building of another two thousand homes in the settlements in areas where the building of Jewish homes is considered illegal by the international community. It is an enormous setback to the peace process and Obama´s plans, and with the elections forthcoming, now is not the time for the president to alienate the Jewish vote. If he is reelected and then tackles the issue full on, he will have a new obstacle to overcome. Prime Minister Netanyahu justifies Israel´s actions saying that the UNESCO affair suggests that the Palestinians are not interested in the peace process. His rationale will fall on deaf ears in the international community, which will infer just the opposite, that the Israeli government has found another excuse to create fait accompli situations that hinder the emergence of a viable Palestine.