he acceptance by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization of the Palestinian bid for state recognition last week has left almost all involved parties in a quandary: how to transform this unusual, confusing vote into a positive public relations outcome.
The UNESCO gambit was spearheaded by Palestinian chief negotiator Sa’eb Erekat, a veteran of the international political scene, who hoped to regain traction and public recognition after a dispiriting month and a half in which the Palestinian Authority’s claim to be recognized by the UN itself lost some oomph.
