Earlier this week, the majority of member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)—whose self-stated mission is “to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information”—voted to accept the Palestinians’ application to become the newest member of the organization. The vote was not even close—107 voted in favor of the Palestinians, while 14 states voted against (52 abstained)—for “Palestine [to become] the 195th full member of UNESCO,” as the New York Times reported.
The latest Palestinian move was meant as another step toward its primary goal—its ongoing bid for recognition as a member state of the United Nations. In September, Palestinian chief Mahmoud Abbas spoke at the United Nations in New York City to ask for support for statehood for his people. The peace process, Abbas suggested, has not achieved its stated goals (after all, there still is not peace), and therefore the Palestinians should be able to circumvent that process and be recognized by the international body.
