U.S. Official: Cutting U.N. Funds Harms Israel, U.S. Interests

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WASHINGTON (JTA) — A top U.S. official outlined U.S.-Israel cooperation at the United Nations and argued that cutting funding to the body would be detrimental to the interests of both countries.

"One constant we hear from Israeli counterparts is how much they appreciate the administration’s efforts and U.S.-Israeli cooperation at the UN and multilaterally," Esther Brimmer, the assistant secretary of state for international organizations, said in an address Wednesday to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a pro-Israel think tank. "In order to sustain these efforts, the United States must maintain the strongest position it can at the U.N., and that means paying our bills on time and in full. We are more credible politically when we fulfill our treaty obligations and contribute to work that advances our interests."

A number of Republican lawmakers in Congress are circulating bills that would cut U.N. funding should the body recognize "Palestine" as a nation.

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