The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to grant Palestine new “rights and privileges” and urged the Security Council to favorably evaluate its bid to become the 194th member of the United Nations.
On Friday, the 193-member world body voted 143-9 with 25 abstentions to accept the resolution supported by Arab and Palestinian leaders.
On April 18, the United States rejected a largely supported council resolution that would have cleared the path for Palestine’s full UN membership, a goal that the Palestinians have long coveted and Israel has battled to thwart.
US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood stated that the Biden administration was opposed to the assembly resolution. The United States, along with Israel, was one of nine countries that voted against it.
According to the UN Charter, prospective members of the United Nations must be “peace-loving,” and the Security Council must suggest their admission to the General Assembly for final ratification. In 2012, Palestine joined the United Nations as a non-member observer state.
However, unlike the Security Council, the 193-member General Assembly has no vetoes, and the resolution is expected to be passed by a big majority, according to three Western officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deliberations were private.
The draft resolution “determines” that Palestine is qualified for membership, removing the original phrase that the General Assembly considers Palestine to be “a peace-loving state.” It thus advises that the Security Council review its request “favorably.”
The current demand for complete Palestinian UN membership coincides with Tel Aviv’s war in Gaza, which has brought the more than 75-year-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the forefront.
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