The desperation of the Palestinians' move to win United Nations recognition was matched only by the pettiness of the U.S. refusal to continue funding UNESCO in order to punish that agency for standing up to Israel ("UNESCO vote on Palestine shuts off funding from U.S." Nov. 1).

For 65 years Israel and the Palestinians have been throwing metaphorical loads of dirt at each other.

When will this spoiled child of an Israel loosen its stranglehold on American politics?

Donald T. Hart, Baltimore