ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – A total of 143 countries supported Palestine in the vote held by the United Nations General Assembly to determine a resolution regarding Palestine’s membership. Meanwhile nine countries, including the United States and Israel, refused, and 25 others abstained.
“The world is with the Palestinian people,” said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcoming the results of the vote.
He said that the adoption of the resolution shows that the world stands with the rights and freedoms of the Palestinian people, and opposes Israeli aggression.
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly will hold a vote on Friday, May 10 2024 to determine a resolution regarding Palestine’s membership. The resolution will later grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and ask the Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s request to become the 194th member of the UN.
Previously, the United States (US) vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution regarding Palestine’s efforts to become a full member of the organization.
The draft resolution was initiated by Algeria, which is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The resolution, which was vetoed by the US, would have paved the way for full Palestinian membership in the UN, a goal that the Palestinians have long fought for and that Israel has stymied.
On Thursday, May 9, 2024, US deputy ambassador to the UN Robert Wood reiterated that the Biden administration opposes the Security Council resolution. Under the UN Charter, prospective UN members must be “peace-loving” and the Security Council must recommend their admission to the General Assembly for final approval.
Meanwhile, Palestine has been a non-UN member observer state since 2012.
However, unlike in the Security Council, there is no veto right in the 193-member General Assembly.
The new push for full Palestinian membership in the UN comes as the war in Gaza escalates. In various council and assembly meetings, the humanitarian crisis facing Palestine in Gaza and the killing of tens of thousands of people in the region have aroused the anger of many countries. (ATN)
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