The State Department will not be making a $60 million aid payment to a UN cultural agency next month. 

In fact, the U.S. likely won’t be making any financial contributions to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the near future.

And that is the right thing to do.

UNESCO voted today to grant the Palestinian Authority cultural agency full membership into the organization, a move that violates U.S. law prohibiting American support for any U.N.-affiliated body that accepts Palestinian membership.

It is unfortunate, given that the organization is reliant on U.S. aid for almost a quarter of their budget that they would choose to hold such a controversial vote, especially in light of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) divisive move to get a vote on statehood from the UN. 

As I have stated numerous times in the past, the PA and Israel need to pursue peace through direct negotiation.  The goal should be working toward a two-state solution, but it has to be agreed upon by the two parties directly involved.  It will not be a successful solution if the borders of the two-states are forced upon the parties by the UN.      

Cynical efforts like the statehood recognition bid with the UN are detrimental to the peace process.  The move by UNESCO today, only adds fuel to the fire, which is why the decision to withhold further funding from UNESCO is the right response to this disappointing vote.