Israel freezes UNESCO funding over Palestinian membership

[News_Editor]

Israel freezes UNESCO funding over Palestinian membership

2011-11-04 08:39:17 GMT+7 (ICT)

JERUSALEM (BNO NEWS) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday announced that Israel will freeze funding to the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO after it voted to grant full membership to Palestine on Monday. The move comes after the U.S. government also cut all funding to the organization.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today (Thursday) ordered that Israel's $2 million-per-annum participation in the budget of UNESCO be frozen, following the organization's decision to accept the Palestinian authority into its ranks," Netanyahu's office said in a statement. "The Prime Minister ordered that the budget be directed to cooperative initiatives towards the same goals in the region."

On Monday, the motion to admit the Palestinians was passed at a UNESCO meeting in Paris with 107 votes in favor of admission, 14 votes against and 52 abstentions. Admission to UNESCO for states which are not members of the United Nations requires a recommendation by the organization's executive committee and a two thirds majority vote in favor by member states.

"Such steps will not advance peace; they will only push it further away. The only way to reach peace is through direct negotiations without preconditions," Prime Minister Netanyahu said.

Among the countries which voted against admission were Israel, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia and Germany. Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa, Belgium and France were among the countries which voted in favor while the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan were among those who abstained.

Hours after the vote took place, the U.S. government said it had been forced to cut all funding to UNESCO because of two U.S. laws passed in the 1990s which ban Washington from financing any UN agency which admits Palestine as a full member. As a result, UNESCO will lose nearly $80 million in annual funding, which represents 22 percent of its budget.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu ordered that the construction of 2,000 housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem be accelerated. The decision came after Netanyahu convened a meeting with eight ministers to discuss possible sanctions against the Palestinian National Authority in response to its UNESCO membership.

The ministers also agreed to suspend the transfer of tax money which Israel collected for the Palestinian Authority in October. Moreover, the eight ministers also decided not to allow any UNESCO missions into Israel and to examine the possibility of revoking the VIP status of senior Palestinian officials which allows them to pass through checkpoints.

The move to admit Palestine to UNESCO is part of a broader campaign by Palestine to get recognition as a state by the United Nations. On September 23, Palestine filed a request for a full UN membership even though the United States is likely to veto this.

About 120 out of 193 countries have currently recognized the State of Palestine and those are seen as possible supporters if the UN General Assembly votes on the issue. If the UN Security Council resolution to recognize Palestine is approved, Palestine would become the 194th member of the United Nations.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-11-04

[flying]

Surprise?

[GentlemanJim]

The reaction by Israel and the subsequent sanctions is simply shocking, nothing less. How can Israel say that UNESCO is being uncooperative? It was the majority of the world that voted in favour of Palestine, this was not a decision made by UNESCO senior representatives. It is time the world woke up.

[Ulysses G.]

The US and Israel responded to the latest UNESCO hypocrisy exactly as they said they would and rightly.

GENEVA, Oct. 31 – “On a day when Palestinians continued firing rockets against Israeli civilian centers,” said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer, in reaction to the vote by UNECO to admit the non-existent state of Palestine as a member, “the United Nations sent the wrong message about state privileges and responsibilities.”

http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2011/10/31/today-palestinians-fire-rockets-on-beersheva-win-unesco-membership/

[Scott]

One off-topic post removed. You will address the topic of the thread. Off-topic discussions will be deleted and suspensions will be given. This topic is about UNESCO--not about rockets, drones or other unrelated subjects.

[midas]

The US and Israel responded to the latest UNESCO hypocrisy exactly as they said they would and rightly.

GENEVA, Oct. 31 – “On a day when Palestinians continued firing rockets against Israeli civilian centers,” said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer, in reaction to the vote by UNECO to admit the non-existent state of Palestine as a member, “the United Nations sent the wrong message about state privileges and responsibilities.”

http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2011/10/31/today-palestinians-fire-rockets-on-beersheva-win-unesco-membership/

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has a differing opinion

UN concerned by Israeli settlements, US freeze of UNESCO's funding

New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern on Wednesday over Israel's decision to accelerate construction of 2,000 housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Ban urged the Israeli government to freeze all settlement activities as well as transfer customs revenues that belong to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which he said are 'essential to enable the PA to function, in line with Israel's obligations.'

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1672631.php/UN-concerned-by-Israeli-settlements-US-freeze-of-UNESCO-s-funding

[chuckd]

It would seem to me that Israel and the US both have the right to dictate where their funds go and for what purpose they are being used. They have the right to determine this based on their own peculiar interests and have no reason to offer apologies for their actions.

UNESCO knew what was coming. They simply chose to ignore it and now must make up the shortfall from other members.

Britain seems to be doing the same thing in Ghana.

[flying]

Ban urged the Israeli government to freeze all settlement activities as well as transfer customs revenues that belong to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which he said are 'essential to enable the PA to function, in line with Israel's obligations.' [/i]

I have been curious about that tax revenues...

The ministers also agreed to suspend the transfer of tax money which Israel collected for the Palestinian Authority in October

I wondered what is this tax on & why does Israel collect it rather than Palestine directly?

Found some answers here..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_the_Palestinian_territories

But wondered if anyone had more informative links?

Thanks

[midas]

I wondered what is this tax on & why does Israel collect it rather than Palestine directly?

But wondered if anyone had more informative links?

Thanks

here is an older link but it does give some background on This collection policy

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2006/02/israel_sends_50_million_a_month_to_the_palestinians.html

[flying]

I wondered what is this tax on & why does Israel collect it rather than Palestine directly?

But wondered if anyone had more informative links?

Thanks

here is an older link but it does give some background on This collection policy

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2006/02/israel_sends_50_million_a_month_to_the_palestinians.html

Interesting & from your link........

Here's one example: Israel continued to collect customs duties and the "value-added tax" on imports that came through Israeli ports. But if those imports ended up in the Palestinian areas, Israel would have to turn that money over to the PA. Israel is also supposed to send back the value-added tax that Palestinians pay for Israeli goods, as well as any excise taxes that Palestinians have to pay for fuel, cigarettes, and alcohol.

So basically if I read this right....The tax is withheld on goods that come in through ports controlled by Israel?

Aren't all ports controlled by Israel?

[Steely Dan]

I applaud Israel cutting funding to UNESCO and should in my opinion sever all ties with it.

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2011/10/us-cancels-funding-to-unesco-this-was-a-failure-of-us-power-said-palestinian-official-after-un-body-.html

One of the first moves Palestinians are set to make is to apply for world heritage status for sites on occupied Palestinian land such as the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Associated Press news agency reports.

You simply couldn't make this up. The putative genocidal apartheid Judenrein Palestinian entity have through their intolerance and religious extremism reduced the Christian population of Bethlehem and Nazareth from being a majority to now being less than 15%. But their useful enablers at UNESCO are to be asked to make the Church of the Nativity a world heritage site under their control.

[Pakboong]

I am a bit ashamed to say, I carry a passport and receive my pensions from a country who supports this kind of childish behavior. I don't feel strongly enough about it to give up the money but, I do feel taking your toys and going home, when the game is not played the way you would like it to be played, be reserved for children.

[Credo]

Just what is that UNESCO does that makes this such a hot issue?

[Scott]

One inflammatory, accusatory post has been removed.

[chuckd]

Just what is that UNESCO does that makes this such a hot issue?

They're good at spending other people's money.