To cteele

The American law has been there to ensure there would be a penalty if the PLO sought to take unilateral action outside the Oslo Accords. That has happened and the law has been triggered. The PLO knew America's position and so did the 194 members of UNESCO before they voted.

Sure lobbying America to repeal the law is an option that has already been undertaken by UNESCO and those efforts will continue. My assessment is that UNESCO is knocking its head against a brick wall.The law will not be amended - especially in an election year. If I am wrong - then I am wrong.

I am sure UNESCO is spending a lot of money in delegations flying to Washington, staying in the best hotels and running up big bills in restaurants. The money would be better spent going to the International Court for an advisory opinion.

If UNESCO is not prepared to discuss my detailed submission what else can I infer but that they agree with my submission? I even warned them that is what I would assume if they continued to remain silent. They have. They have had my detailed submission since 2 December.

If you are so sure of the merits of your case and that my opinion is "bollocks" - why are you so afraid to see UNESCO go to the ICJ and have that view confirmed? Or are you perhaps a little uncertain that I might just have an argument that is accepted by the Court and that Palestine will be outed from UNESCO because the provisions of the Constitution were breached?

Do you disapprove of illegality or do you think it should be condoned?

Finally you need to do better than making this wild assertion:

"Very early in our exchanges you accused me from memory of being a propagandist for terrorists. You set the ground rules, live with them my friend because it's a little late and frankly unbecoming to be claiming victimhood status now."

Rather than relying on your memory go do some research and point out where I alleged this.

Dear David,

You should refrain from calling on others to do research when yours is so wanting. Tom Lantos' legislation on Palestine was adopted in Feb 1990. The Oslo accords came out of the Madrid conference of 1991, were finalized in 1993 and signed months later. Not even close my friend.

The law was and still is punitive bullying.

As you have not replied to my offer to sign your petition you obviously accept it (your rules) and I am working on a pro forma letter to send to all those who are contactable on your list. I will stick to the facts of course. 

Finally to me bothering to delve back through our numerous exchanges. That would only happen if you categorically deny having claimed I was a propagandist for terrorists. The possibility of tripping you up yet again would possibly be worth it but even that is becoming a little old hat.

To csteele

So that we don't waste each others time might I quote from Human Rights Brief the following:

"The funding withdrawal was triggered by the 101st Congress’s passage of the Membership of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the UN Agencies bill. The Obama Administration is struggling to find a way around this statute that prohibits U.S. funding to any UN agency that accords the PLO the same standing as member states. The statute was passed in 1990, before the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO. The Oslo Accords granted international recognition to the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. However, it is unlikely that Congress will amend this law and resume funding UNESCO because of a desire in the U.S. to cut government spending,"

Stop working on your pro forma letter. I wouldn't send it even if you were the next to sign my petition at http://www.change.org/petitions/unesco-review-palestines-unconstitutional-membership.

It is an outrageous suggestion that I breach the privacy of those who signed and will sign the petition.Is that the kind of thing you would do?

However if you give me a letter with your full name and address on it then I am happy to post it on the petition website http://www.change.org/petitions/unesco-review-palestines-unconstitutional-membership together with my response if I think one is required.

Why put the onus on me to categorically deny an allegation of yours which you state is "from memory". Dig it out or withdraw it

Dear David Singer,

The quote you cite runs contrary to your initial assertion that "The American law has been there to ensure there would be a penalty if the PLO sought to take unilateral action outside the Oslo Accords."

You were wrong again yet did not have the good grace to acknowledge it. Instead you inferred getting the facts right was wasting each other's time.

I'm not so flippant about facts so I will again ask you to alter the wording of your petition to reflect the fact you have conceded "To get admitted as an associate member under article II (3)- the applicant needs a two thirds majority of the members present and voting. Had Palestine applied for associate membership the 107 votes would have been sufficient."

Yet your petition still reads "Palestine's admission as a member of UNESCO on 31 October 2011 is illegal - since the two-thirds majority of members required to admit Palestine under articles II(2) and II (3) of UNESCO'S Constitution is 129 - not the 107 member States that actually voted for Palestine's admission."

It needs to be changed now since every minute it remains goes directly to your credibility.

I'm not sure what kind of lawyering you do, and who knows you may well be very good at your particular speciality, but international law and voting procedure surely can't be among them. Time to let it go.

To your petitioners and some of the reasons given for signing.

"There is no country today called Palestine and there are no peoples called Palestinians." - Ann Bar-neder

"I am signing this petition because it is time the UN is held accountable for their anti-Israel bias. It must stop. It must change." - Shirley Gerace

"Palestine does not exist, and the Palestinians are just Arabs, like many others" - George Frueden

"Support Israel" - Tom Struick

"The only purpose(s) of the palestinians move to UNESCO is that they wish to steal Jewish heritage and convert it to islamic faux history, in order to complete the theft of Jewish land in Israel." - Shoshana Sumray

Cont..

Cont..

"The UN and Unesco are and all way be Arab lover."- irit steiner

"The land in question belongs to the Jews for many reasons! #1 being their G-d given right!" - Susan Cohen

I'm not getting a great a great sense of concern for those who might be affected by the withdrawal of UNESCO funds.

By the way I wasn't asking you to contact your petitioners, I am more than capable of doing that myself, and in return I am happy to be your 2001st signature.

As to a signed letter complete with my full name and address for posting on your site I think we just might be able to work something out, It would be most important if I am forced to add my name to the others. I feel it is only fair to ask that you do the same with your reply i.e. full name and address, and that I get to view it before posting. When we are both happy with each others offering then and only then should they be published.

In the meantime I will start my counter campaign since obviously I would rather not be in a position to have to fulfil my commitment to sign at the 2000 mark. Shall we put a time limit of until the end of February?

As to asking me to withdraw a statement I think you will find that it requires a denial from you to have any weight. Give it and we will go through the process otherwise suck it up.

Finally I have put up with you inserting the link to your petition in every post but to do it twice in the one go is over the top. You are obviously looking to create as many links as possible to assist with rankings, a good idea so don't mind if I start doing it too.

www.btselem.org

To csteele

I have better things to do with my time than play shenanigans with you.

When you make an allegation you have to prove it. You are not prepared to do so. If that is your idea of how the law works - then any further correspondence is a complete waste of time.

My suggestion: Why don't you start your own petition attacking my petition when you can post whatever you like whenever you like. I am sure it will make interesting reading.

In the meantime I will concentrate on UNESCO seeking a review by the International Court of Justice on the unlawful admission of Palestine as a member state of UNESCO and hope that many more people will support my petition.

If that application is successful then 22% of UNESCO's budget will be immediately reinstated for the benefit of scores of people world wide - both to improve as well prolong their lives.

If not - then UNESCO will have taken an honorable step to try and resume that funding and the provisions of the UNESCO Constitution will
have been judicially clarified in relation to future applications for membership.

You and any others who agree with these objectives are more than welcome to sign it by clicking on:

http://www.change.org/petitions/unesco-review-palestines-unconstitutional-membership