Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas raised the Palestinian flag outside UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris on Tuesday, a month after its admission to the UN cultural agency sparked anger and reprisals from the US and Israel.

 

This is the first time that the red, black, white and green Palestinian flag is flown at the headquarters of a United Nations institution.

 

“This is truly a historic moment. This admission is the first recognition of Palestine,” Abbas said. “Today, we are members of UNESCO and we hope we will have one independent state in the future that will live side-by-side with Israel.”

 

Abbas said he would continue to push for full UN membership.

 

The Israeli embassy in Paris said that “Israel regrets that an organization responsible for education and science was at the heart of making a decision based on science fiction by integrating an entity that has no legal status as a state,” according to the Reuters.

 

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization voted Oct 31 to grant Palestine a full membership. It has immediately drawn fierce criticism and sanctions from the US and Israel.

 

The US responded by freezing $60 million payment to UNESCO. Israel froze tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and approved the settlement expansion in East Jerusalem and in the West Bank. Faced with international criticism, Israel later lifted its freeze on the revenues.

 

Abbas reiterated on Dec 5 that the Palestinian bid for full UN membership would continue even though the US has made clear that it would veto the bid. But the Palestinian Authority may still score a moral victory if they can win nine votes in the council out of 15 in the Security Council.

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