After the US declaration on rejecting a Palestinian state recognition in United Nations Security Council, US diplomacy used all its power and threats to stop recognizing a Palestinian state in the UNESCO.

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton threatened the UN cultural agency of losing tens of millions of dollars if it agrees to admit Palestine.

Clinton warned UNESCO to "think again" on plans to vote on Palestinian membership, noting that such a move could cause the US to cut funds for the organization.

Similarly, other US lawmakers and two top members of the House panel that oversees such funding say the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization could lose roughly $80 million in annual US contributions if it follows the recommendation of its board and admits Palestine.

The US threat came as Palestine won a first diplomatic victory in its quest for statehood on Wednesday when the UNESCO executive committee backed its bid to become a member of the cultural body with the rights of a state.