Palestine is voted as a new Unesco member state.
The cheers that rang across the hall of the Unesco meeting when Palestine became a member on Monday are being echoed in surprising quarters.
The Obama administration has perversely given a big boost to the Republican right's antipathy to the UN and all it stands for. Ironically, it was George W Bush who brought the United States back into Unesco 20 years after Reagan withdrew. Equally ironically, driving the engine in this diplomatic train wreck was Barack Obama, whose speeches in Turkey and Egypt during the early months of his presidency had deceptively signalled a new opening to the Muslim world.
It was a law the President was obligated to follow. Dumb law, but there it is. I do not think Obama personally views this as the right thing to do, but in the end it is all about U.S. domestic politics.
ReplyDeleteAs for the withdrawn U.S. funding, this is where the great Arab states should step forward and say THEY will make up the difference. Not holding my breath.......
Lack of principle, lack of backbone, lack of foresight, lack of wise counsel.
ReplyDeleteEff you, Obama.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of one courageous thing he has done. i voted for him against my instincts, because the two clowns running against him (McCain & Palin) were just too scary. Maybe Obama is obligated, sure he is. That is revealing too -- it says where the real power lies.