Obama seeks to renew UNESCO funding

JointMedia News Service — President Barack Obama has proposed to renew funding for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with $79 million. UNESCO agreed to admit “Palestine” as a member last October, after which the US government cut off funding to the organization.

According to the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, current US law prohibits contributions to any UN body granting membership to the PLO or any other “organization or group that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood.” However, according to the White House’s 2013 Budget Request, which was submitted to Congress earlier this month, “the Department of State intends to work with Congress to seek legislation that would provide authority to waive restrictions on paying the US assessed contributions to UNESCO,” reported Israel Hayom.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said: “Any effort to walk back this funding cutoff will pave the way for the Palestinian leadership’s unilateral statehood scheme to drive on, and sends a disastrous message that the U.S. will fund UN bodies no matter what irresponsible decisions they make.”