Unesco vote highlights EU split on Palestine

EUObserver reports that the vote in UNESCO on the 31 October 2011 to admit Palestine divided EU Member States.

The Czech Republic, Lithuania, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden voted against the move. Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia and Spain voted 'Yes'. Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and the UK abstained.

Amid wide support from Muslim, African and Latin American countries, Palestine won the vote by 107 to 14 with 52 abstentions.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: EU pitches counter-offers to Palestinian statehood bid http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-pitches-counter-offers-to-palestinian-statehood-bid/

EU: EEAS: The EU and the Middle East Peace Process http://eeas.europa.eu/mepp/index_en.htm

EEAS: Occupied Palestinian Territory http://eeas.europa.eu/occupied_palestinian_territory/index_en.htm

BBC News, 31.10.11: Palestinians win Unesco membership http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15530953

EurActiv, 31.10.11: Palestinians win UNESCO seat, denounce US stance http://www.euractiv.com/global-europe/new-unesco-member-palestine-calls-us-sanctions-crime-news-508675

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