Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his country Thursday to freeze payments to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization after that agency admitted the Palestinians as full members.
The move follows a U.S. decision to do the same.
Israel is withholding its contributions to UNESCO because it says accepting the Palestinians is detrimental to potential peace talks.
"Such steps will not advance peace; they will only push it further away," Netanyahu said. "The only way to reach peace is through direct negotiations without preconditions."