(Image Source: Al Jazeera) 

 

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

You're watching multi-source video news analysis from Newsy. 

Palestine was awarded membership into the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization today -- a feat some analysts are calling a moral victory for the nation. Seattle’s KCPQ has the details of the vote.

“The UN might be moving closer to recognizing Palestine as a state. The UN’s Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, voted to accept a Palestinian bid for full membership. It was the first vote on the matter by the UN agency. The vote required two thirds approval and passed with 107 votes in favor, 14 against, 52 abstentions.”

The US was one of the 14 nations voting against Palestine’s bid. As Al Arabiya News reports, the United States’ alliance with Israel might be the primary reason behind the nay vote.

“Washington, which has the power to veto such applications, opposes the Palestinian bid for a full U.N. seat on the grounds it is unhelpful to efforts to revive peace talks with Israel, the last round of which broke down a year ago. Israel’s closest international ally, the United States has said it will use its veto power in the Security Council to quash the bid for full U.N. membership, were it brought to a vote.”

What does a veto by the US mean for the UN and its many organizations? As the BBC reports, Palestine’s approval will most likely result in a backlash from Washington to support UNESCO in the future.

“America has a law passed in the early 90s which says that any UN body that admits Palestine as a full member will have its funding cut off. Now, UNESCO gets around 70 million dollars a year from the United States --that’s around 20 percent of its budget so if it does indeed happen, Palestine is admitted, they’re going to find themselves somewhat strapped for cash.”

And it appears the U.S. plans to stick to its word. Fox News reports one California representative has already introduced legislation that would withhold US contributions from any UN agency or program -- in this case, UNESCO-- that upgrades Palestine’s status.

“[Ileana] Ros-Lehtinen ... has previously argued efforts at de facto recognition of a Palestinian state is an attempt to evade a negotiated settlement with Israel. That proposal comes as Palestinian officials continue to seek full membership in the U.N. General Assembly.”

Despite the lack of support from the United States, Palestine sees this as a big victory. The Los Angeles Times reports what this vote means for Palestine’s future.

“Palestinian officials described the UNESCO bid as a dress rehearsal for their larger push to gain full membership in the United Nations, which could come up for a vote in the Security Council in early November.Palestinians have also talked about seeking membership in other international bodies, such as the World Trade Organization and International Criminal Court.”

Even with a strong push by Palestine to be considered for statehood, some suggest the effort is unlikely to succeed. The Obama administration has already voiced it plans to veto Palestine’s application to the National Security Council.