Israeli envoy says US must cut United Nations funding if Palestinian statehood endorsed

Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan says a draft General Assembly resolution recognizing the Palestinians as qualified to become a full UN member goes against the founding UN Charter, and would give the Palestinians the de facto status and rights of a state.

“If it is approved, I expect the United States to completely stop funding the UN and its institutions, in accordance with American law,” Erdan says, noting that adoption by the General Assembly would not change anything on the ground.

Under US law, Washington cannot fund any UN organization that grants full membership to any group that does not have the “internationally recognized attributes” of statehood. The US halted funding in 2011 for the UN cultural agency UNESCO after the Palestinians became a full member.

“It remains the US view that the path toward statehood for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations,” says Nate Evans, a spokesperson for the US mission to the UN.

“We are aware of the resolution and reiterate our concerns with any effort to extend certain benefits to entities when there are unresolved questions as to whether the Palestinians currently meet the criteria under the Charter,” he says.

The US is thought to provide approximately one-third of the UN’s budget.