United States blocks Palestinian request for full membership in the United Nations | Global Updates
The United States has vetoed a Palestinian proposal for full membership recognition at the United Nations, despite support from twelve of the 15-member Security Council. Britain and Switzerland abstained from voting.
The US affirmed its backing for a two-state solution, but insisted that direct negotiations between the parties were necessary for its realization.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the US veto as “unfair, unethical, and unjustified,” while Israel‘s foreign minister Israel Katz praised the decision.
The resolution proposed Palestinian admission to the UN General Assembly as a full member state.
Ambassador Robert Wood cited Hamas‘s control over Gaza as a key reason for the veto, given that Hamas is designated as a terrorist group by many countries, including the US and UK.
A two-state solution is seen by many as the best chance for a lasting peace in the region. Pic: AP
The Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank, currently holds a non-member observer state status at the UN since 2012.
For full membership, a Security Council approval and at least two-thirds majority in the General Assembly are required.
Palestinians seek a state encompassing the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, territories occupied by Israel in 1967.
The UN has advocated for a plan establishing a Palestinian state with secure, agreed borders alongside Israel.
Many view this as the best pathway to ending the longstanding violence preceding the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
However, Israeli hardliners in the right-wing government reject the idea of a Palestinian state.
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Read more:
What is the two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians?
Analysis: US won’t approve UN membership – here’s why
UN vote ‘disconnected to reality’
Israel’s UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, criticized the resolution in New York, stating it was “disconnected from the reality on the ground” and would hinder future dialogue opportunities.
In contrast, Mr Abbas’s representative, Ziad Abu Amr, believed UN membership would offer hope for a better life within an independent state and contribute to regional peace efforts beyond Palestine and Israel.
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According to Hamas-run health authorities, nearly 34,000 casualties have been reported in the six-month-long Gaza conflict, with no ceasefire agreement in sight. Israel claims around 1,200 casualties resulting from the initial Hamas attack that triggered the war, while over 100 hostages remain in Gaza.
