Op-Ed: UNESCO and PA Huffing and Puffing

The PLO application seeking admission of Palestine to the UN has been dealt a serious blow - although it seems the opposite at first glance - after 86 of its 193 members failed to support a mirror application for Palestine to join UNESCO.

The poor UNESCO majority vote recorded in favor is even more remarkable when one excludes the 56 Islamic member States - whose vote to recognize Palestine's admission to UNESCO was always assured. Only 51 of UNESCO’s remaining 137 members were prepared to publicly out themselves in support of the PLO application.

Abbas however had every reason for stressing that Palestine had been diminished by 1947 - since 78% of Palestine had been granted independence by Britain in 1946 when it was permanently placed under Hashemite control and re-named the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan.

Blaming Israel for 19 years of Arab failure to do anything to create Palestinian statehood could explain why many states did not support the push to recognize a fictitious Palestine now.

Whatever happens from here on in at the UN - the UNESCO vote shows that the UN vote may not be the cakewalk predicted by the PLO.


http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/10789