The UN General Assembly has enhanced Palestine’s rights within the United Nations and urged it be accepted as a member.
This triggered a heated debate – including powerful Israeli opposition.
Palestine has had non-member observer state status since 2012, which allows some rights – but not full membership.
Nations voting against the resolution were the US, Argentina, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Papua New Guinea.
25 nations abstained, reports the BBC.
Membership can only be decided upon by the UN Security Council – not the General Assembly.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the resolution, saying it supported Palestinian efforts for another vote on the issue by the Security Council.
Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said the body had welcomed a “terror state” into its ranks.
Addressing the assembly Erdan shredded a copy of the UN Charter, in a metaphorical act that responded to the UN’s passing the resolution by 143 vote to 9.
This resolution allowed Palestine to take part fully in debates, propose agenda items and have its representatives elected to committees.
“You are shredding the UN charter with your own hands,” he said. “Yes, yes, that’s what you’re doing. Shredding the UN charter. Shame on you.”
Reportedly, several European countries (Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Malta) have expressed intentions to officially recognize a Palestinian state, says RTVE.
According to Reuters, Palestinian statehood has been recognised by 139 out of 193 UN member states…on a symbolic level.
In practice, the Palestinians have limited self-government through the Palestinian Authority (PA) in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The PA lost control of the Gaza Strip to Hamas in 2007. The UN considers both territories as occupied by Israel and comprising a single political entity.
The US currently endorses the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel – the so-called two state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict – but says such a state should only come through direct negotiations between the two sides, which Israel is unlikely to agree to.
