The United States on Thursday vetoed a resolution that, if passed, would have opened the door to full Palestinian membership of the United Nations.
The draft resolution submitted by Algeria recommends to the General Assembly of 193 countries the admission of the State of Palestine to membership in the United Nations.
It received 12 votes in favor and two abstentions – Britain and Switzerland – while the United States, which has veto power as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, opposed it.
The first reactions to this step were as follows:
#Palestine | At the UNSC, France voted in favor of the admission of Palestine to the UN as a full member.
The time has come for a comprehensive political settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the two-state solution. https://t.co/dovVIEoyZT
— La France à l'ONU 🇫🇷🇺🇳 (@franceonu) April 18, 2024
Israel
Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said he congratulated Washington for vetoing what he described as a twisted proposal and considered the proposal to recognize a Palestinian state half a year after the October attack as a reward for terrorism.
Palestine
The Palestinian presidency condemned the US move and said in a statement that the US veto is “dishonest, immoral and unjustified” and exposes the contradictions of US policy, which claims on the one hand that it supports the two-state solution, while preventing the international institution from implementing this solution.
The statement considered that the US position as an act “blatant aggression” pushing the region to the “brink of the abyss.”
The State of Palestine is grateful for the overwhelming support of the SC for basic tenets of humanity, morality, and legality; for the self-determination of the Palestinian people; and for the State of Palestine Membership to the UN.
Onwards, until the 194th Member 🇵🇸🇺🇳 pic.twitter.com/TH3kYr1bO6
— State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) April 18, 2024
Hamas
Hamas said that it condemns in the strongest terms the US biased position towards the occupation, calling on the international community to put pressure that would “bypass the American will and support the struggle of our people and their legitimate right to self-determination.”
I also said that Washington’s veto against granting Palestine full membership in the United Nations isolates the US administration from the international consensus.
Ireland
Ireland’s Foreign Minister Michael Martin expressed disappointment with the outcome of the vote, saying that his country supports Palestine’s membership in the United Nations and that it is time for Palestine to take its rightful place among the countries of the world.
Disappointed at outcome of UN Security Council vote on Palestinian UN membership.
It is past time for Palestine to take its rightful place amongst the nations of the world. 🇮🇪 fully supports UN membership and will vote in favour of any UNGA resolution to that end.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) April 18, 2024
Egypt
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed regret at the inability of the Security Council to pass a resolution enabling the State of Palestine to obtain full membership in the United Nations.
Cairo considered that the recognition of the Palestinian state and the recognition of its full membership in the United Nations as an inherent right of the Palestinian people, and that obstructing the recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to having their own state as inconsistent wine with the legal and historical responsibility entrusted to the international community.
Observer Status
Palestine has been a Permanent Observer at the UN since 2012.
An application for full membership in the international organization needs the approval of the Security Council and then the approval of at least two-thirds of the members of the General Assembly.
The Palestinian bid for full membership in the United Nations comes six months after the outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinian Resistance led by Hamas, and at a time when Israel is rapidly expanding its illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Recent escalations in the Middle East make it even more important to find lasting peace between Israel & Palestine.
The ultimate goal remains a two-state solution.
The international community has a responsibility & a moral obligation to help make this happen. pic.twitter.com/GmV3QuhMzp— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 18, 2024
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Thursday that the recent escalation makes support for well-intentioned efforts even more important to achieving a lasting peace between Israel and a fully independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian state.
(PC, AJA)
The UN was set up largely to facilitate US “goals” throughout the world (asset theft, color revolutions, murder and mayhem). We can not reasonably expect any form of justice through this organization.
We need BRICS to set up a new version of the UN and quit participating in the current US-western based version. Israel and the US are criminal, pariah states engaged in open mass murder and so many other crimes against humanity that it’s impossible to count. It’s time to drop these two from any voice in international affairs.
Yes, I totally agree. America and the Nazi apartheid genocidal Israehelli occupiers are the two problems that the world has. The current situation in the occupied Palestinian territories suit America because they are the principal financiers of the settlements.
The earlier a viable rival to America emerges, the better for the world.
American people should express their dissatisfaction with geriatric genocide Joe at the ballot box, although Trump is no better. American political system needs a complete overhaul.
In my view, the Middle East will not have peace for as long as the Nazi apartheid genocidal Israehelli occupiers are in situ. They belong in Europe. Good riddance.