US vetoes resolution calling for Palestine’s full membership in the UN

By using its veto power in the Security Council to prevent the Palestinians from receiving full membership rights, the United States essentially prevented the UN from establishing a state for their people on Thursday.

It rejected a draft resolution that suggested “the State of Palestine be admitted to membership” in the UN to the 193-member General Assembly. With the exception of Britain and Switzerland, all twelve members of the council voted in favor.

“The US is still firmly in favor of a two-state solution. Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, told the council that the decision “does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood, but rather an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties.”

In a statement, President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine denounced the US veto as “unfair, unethical, and unjustified.”

After the vote, the sometimes emotional Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour addressed the council, saying, “The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will and it will not defeat our determination.” We won’t give up on our endeavors.”

Six months into an Israeli-Palestinian terrorist conflict in the Gaza Strip—which the UN regards as illegal—and as Israel continues to grow its settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinians launched their bid for full UN membership.

Israel Katz, the country’s foreign minister, praised the US veto power.

Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan addressed the 12 council members who supported the draft resolution, saying, “It’s very sad because your vote will only embolden Palestinian rejectionism even more and make peace almost impossible.”

“GAZZA FIRST”
The UN General Assembly recognized Palestinian statehood in 2012, and as of right now, they are a non-member observer state. However, a request to join the UN as a full member must first be granted by the Security Council and then by the General Assembly with a minimum of two thirds vote.

“We think that this kind of acknowledgement of Palestinian statehood need not occur at the beginning of a fresh procedure, but it also need not occur at the very conclusion of the procedure. The urgent issue in Gaza has to be resolved first, British UN ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council.

For an extended period, the United Nations Security Council has supported the idea of two nations coexisting peacefully within acknowledged boundaries. The West Bank, Gaza Strip, and east Jerusalem—all areas that Israel conquered in 1967—are all part of the Palestinian state.

Prior to the vote, Amar Bendjama, the UN ambassador for Algeria, contended that the two-state solution would be strengthened rather than undermined by Palestinian admission to the UN, saying that “Peace will come from Palestine’s inclusion, not from its exclusion.”

In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority, led by Abbas, has some degree of autonomy. In 2007, Hamas overthrew the Palestinian Authority in Gaza.

In a statement, Hamas denounced the US position and urged the world to “support the struggle of our Palestinian people and their legitimate right to determine their destiny.”

In response to the terrorist group’s assault on southern Israel on October 7, Israel is taking retaliatory measures against Hamas in Gaza.

According to Gaza health officials, Israel has murdered about 34,000 people in its attack in Gaza since then. Israel claims that roughly 1,200 people were killed and over 250 were held captive during the assault.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the council earlier on Thursday that “failure to make progress towards a two-state solution will only increase volatility and risk for hundreds of millions of people across the region, who will continue to live under the constant threat of violence.”