Palestinians Seek Symbolic UN Win Amidst US Veto and Israeli Opposition
The Palestinians were denied full UN membership by the United States in the Security Council, so they are now seeking additional rights in the General Assembly as a non-member observer state.
This symbolic win is expected to pass with a broad majority vote, despite objections from Israel and the US.
The Palestinians had originally requested full membership in 2011, but it required Security Council approval and a two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly, which was blocked by the US veto.
The conflict in Gaza continues to escalate.
The United Arab Emirates introduced a draft resolution at the UN General Assembly calling for Palestine's membership in the UN.
The US opposes this as they only support statehood through bilateral negotiations between Palestinians and Israel, who are currently against a two-state solution.
The resolution is unlikely to pass due to a US veto.
However, Palestine will still gain "additional rights and privileges" in the next UN General Assembly session in September.
The text describes a UN resolution that allows the Palestinians to submit proposals and amendments directly to the UN General Assembly without going through another country.
The Palestinians will also be seated among member states during meetings.
This is seen as a symbolic step towards Palestinian statehood, although Israel and the US have criticized it as a violation of the UN Charter and a granting of de facto statehood.
The Palestinians view it as an important step forward in their goal of becoming a full UN member.
The UN General Assembly upgraded the Palestinians' status to non-member observer state, allowing them to participate in the assembly's work with the same rights as member states.
The US expressed concerns about the precedent this sets.
An earlier draft was more vague, but the final version specifies that Palestine will only get observer rights and does not affect membership privileges.
This vote comes as Israel continues its military action in Gaza against Hamas following an attack on October 7.
The UN vote will help Palestinians gauge which countries support them.
In December 2009, the UN General Assembly held a vote on a call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza war.
A total of 153 out of 193 countries voted in favor, while 10 countries, including the United States, voted against, and 23 countries abstained.
Had the US not vetoed the resolution, the Palestinians would have had enough votes for full UN membership.
The Palestinians had originally requested full membership in 2011, but it required Security Council approval and a two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly, which was blocked by the US veto.
The conflict in Gaza continues to escalate.
The United Arab Emirates introduced a draft resolution at the UN General Assembly calling for Palestine's membership in the UN.
The US opposes this as they only support statehood through bilateral negotiations between Palestinians and Israel, who are currently against a two-state solution.
The resolution is unlikely to pass due to a US veto.
However, Palestine will still gain "additional rights and privileges" in the next UN General Assembly session in September.
The text describes a UN resolution that allows the Palestinians to submit proposals and amendments directly to the UN General Assembly without going through another country.
The Palestinians will also be seated among member states during meetings.
This is seen as a symbolic step towards Palestinian statehood, although Israel and the US have criticized it as a violation of the UN Charter and a granting of de facto statehood.
The Palestinians view it as an important step forward in their goal of becoming a full UN member.
The UN General Assembly upgraded the Palestinians' status to non-member observer state, allowing them to participate in the assembly's work with the same rights as member states.
The US expressed concerns about the precedent this sets.
An earlier draft was more vague, but the final version specifies that Palestine will only get observer rights and does not affect membership privileges.
This vote comes as Israel continues its military action in Gaza against Hamas following an attack on October 7.
The UN vote will help Palestinians gauge which countries support them.
In December 2009, the UN General Assembly held a vote on a call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza war.
A total of 153 out of 193 countries voted in favor, while 10 countries, including the United States, voted against, and 23 countries abstained.
Had the US not vetoed the resolution, the Palestinians would have had enough votes for full UN membership.
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Translated by AI
