U.S. Protests UNESCO Palestine Vote

On Monday, the Obama administration cut U.S. funding for UNESCO, the United Nation’s cultural agency, after the body voted by a large margin to admit Palestine as a state. The move was dictated by a longstanding congressional ban on funding any agency that recognizes Palestine as a state before Israel and Palestine reach a peace deal. The State Department said the U.S. government’s $60 million November payment will be withheld; UNESCO’s rules will eventually strip the U.S. of its vote if its dues aren’t paid.