Ya Libnan

Former Lebanese PM criticizes U.S. over pro-Israel bias

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Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora Friday vehemently criticized the U.S. for cutting off contributions to UNESCO after the body granted membership to Palestine, and urged Arabs instead to pay Washington’s allotted share.

“The U.S.’ decision to stop paying its share of the funds to UNESCO has shocked both Arab and world public opinion,” Siniora said a statement Friday.

“This U.S. decision is totally unacceptable. It would be better for the United States to … revoke [its decision] because it is contrary to the values and principles advocated by the American people and is a flagrant bias on the part of the U.S., alongside Israel, in the face of the rights of the Palestinian people,” he added.

“It is also a clear message sent by America to the people of the region and the world and the Palestinian people that it stands against peoples’ right to freedom and independence, and that it is still unable to play the role of an honest broker,” said Siniora, who also heads the Future parliamentary bloc.

He appealed to the Arab League as well as Arab kings and presidents and Islamic countries, in addition to Western and friendly countries to “collect and pay the amounts that were to be paid by the United States and Israel to UNESCO.”

“I am confident that this step would thwart Israeli blackmail and intimidation and U.S. pressure [for the sake of] dominance,” Siniora concluded.

UNESCO lost around 25 percent of its annual funding after the U.S., and shortly later Canada, halted their contributions after the Palestinians won membership Monday. It lost a further $2 million when Israel Thursday announced it would withhold its annual contribution.

The Daily Star

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11 responses to “Former Lebanese PM criticizes U.S. over pro-Israel bias”

  1. Patience2 Avatar
    Patience2

    Now you can clearly see the workings of the ‘Israel Lobby’.  Do you think the ‘average’ American(one not interested in Israel) enjoys fighting Israel’s wars? Or paying Israel’s bills??

  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Now you can clearly see the workings of the ‘Israel Lobby’.  Do you think the ‘average’ American(one not interested in Israel) enjoys fighting Israel’s wars? Or paying Israel’s bills??

  3. master09 Avatar
    master09

    SIT down and talk both sides with an open mind this is the message.

  4. Avatar
    Anonymous

    SIT down and talk both sides with an open mind this is the message. Like a business this is what any side would do.

  5. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Actually, Canadians didn’t stop their 10 mil a year … they just said they wouldn’t make up the shortfalls by others not contributing. And why should they?
    And Actually, it will be interesting to see what ‘palestinians’ can really get out of this particular UN body – or will be allowed to see from it – since natural and human sciences are among it’s educating desires, and those subjects largely fall under ‘heresy’ labels with ‘certain&various’ religions. 😉
    “Projects sponsored by UNESCO include literacy, technical, and teacher-training programmes; international science programmes; the promotion of independent media and freedom of the press; regional and cultural history projects; the promotion of cultural diversity; international cooperation agreements to secure the world cultural and natural heritage (World Heritage Sites); and to preserve human rights, and attempts to bridge the worldwide digital divide.”
    Wow … Maybe they didn’t realize what they were getting into .. aside from the payments they should make now too.
    But .. IF there COULD be some viable education on ALL these subjects it would be good indeed. There would be enough subjects to keep kids in school every day, for instance, and off the streets where they spend too much time practicing stone-throwing.
    Perhaps, they would learn to eventually sit down and talk about their problems too.

  6. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Actually, Canadians didn’t stop their 10 mil a year … they just said they wouldn’t make up the shortfalls by others not contributing. And why should they?
    Actually, it will be interesting to see what ‘palestinians’ can really get out of this particular UN body – or will be allowed to see from it – since natural and human sciences are among it’s educating desires, and those subjects largely fall under ‘heresy’ labels with ‘certain&various’ religions. 😉
    “Projects sponsored by UNESCO include literacy, technical, and teacher-training programmes; international science programmes; the promotion of independent media and freedom of the press; regional and cultural history projects; the promotion of cultural diversity; international cooperation agreements to secure the world cultural and natural heritage (World Heritage Sites); and to preserve human rights, and attempts to bridge the worldwide digital divide.”
    Wow … Maybe they didn’t realize what they were getting into .. aside from the payments they should make now too.
    But .. IF there COULD be some viable education on ALL these subjects it would be good indeed. There would be enough subjects to keep kids in school every day, for instance, and off the streets where they spend too much time practicing stone-throwing.
    Perhaps, they would learn to eventually sit down and talk about their problems too.

  7. Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel Avatar
    Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel

    So when a country signs an agreement, it’s okay to break it? Israel hasn’t broken one single point of the Oslo Accords. By contrast, the Palestinian Authority which was set up as part of the Oslo Accords, has broken EVERY single point of the accords. Now it’s a material breach. The USA is one of the main countries that was involved in brokering those accords. I’m sorry to any Siniora fans out there but if he can’t see why its important for the USA not to allow the PA to crap on a deal that they brokered and threw their weight behind, then he’s not so smart.

  8. Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel Avatar
    Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel

    So when a country signs an agreement, it’s okay to break it? Israel hasn’t broken one single point of the Oslo Accords. By contrast, the Palestinian Authority which was set up as part of the Oslo Accords, has broken EVERY single point of the accords. Now it’s a material breach. The USA is one of the main countries that was involved in brokering those accords. I’m sorry to any Siniora fans out there but if he can’t see why its important for the USA not to allow the PA to crap on a deal that they brokered and threw their weight behind, then he’s not so smart.

  9. najlepszy sklep Avatar
    najlepszy sklep

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