UNESCO voted to admit Palestine as a full member on Monday, even though it has not yet become a UN member. This marked a Palestinian victory in 19th drive for the creation of a state, and for membership of the UN itself, but the reaction of opponents was symptomatic. The USA and Israel announced that they would not be making any further contributions to UNESCO. While Israel is not a major contributor, the USAs dues form a significant part of the UNESCO budget. The response to the move threw into harsh relief the USAs perception of its relationship with the UN. It seems to see it as an adjunct of American foreign policy, subject to stoppage of funding when it or its subsidiary organisations do not pursue American goals. This step also shows the power of the Israeli lobby in US policy, where the USA has to be ready to face the entire world in pursuit of the Israeli cause. Palestine launched a bid this year to join the UN as a full member. However, the USA made it clear that it would veto and that full membership was no substitute for negotiations. This is an argument repeated after the UNESCO vote by Israel, thus showing the Tel Aviv origin of the argument. The USAs failure to deliver on its promise of Palestinian statehood shows its opposition to the democratic principle (107 countries voted in favour of Palestines admission, 52 abstained and only 14 voted against). It seems to justify the practice of turning a deaf ear to the results of a democratic vote. Under these circumstances, Pakistan should learn the right lessons, that nations go to any extreme in the pursuit of their self-interests. None exhibit this more so than the practice of foreign policy by the US. Pakistan should be aware of the USA's favourable bias towards India in the region. At the same time, we must remain firm in our pursuit of the Palestinian and Kashmiri causes.