United Nations: The United States exercised its veto power on Thursday against a widely supported U.N. resolution that aimed to facilitate full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal long pursued by the Palestinians but opposed by Israel.
In the 15-member Security Council, the vote counted 12 in favor, with the U.S. voting against, and two abstentions from the United Kingdom and Switzerland. U.S. allies such as France, Japan, and South Korea backed the resolution.
The robust support for the Palestinians demonstrates not only the growing acknowledgment of their statehood globally but also the sympathy for the humanitarian plight in Gaza, now in its seventh month of conflict.
The resolution proposed that the 193-member U.N. General Assembly, where vetoes do not apply, approve Palestine as the 194th U.N. member. Over 140 nations have already acknowledged Palestine, suggesting a favorable outcome in the General Assembly.
U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood expressed that the veto was not a rejection of Palestinian statehood, but rather an affirmation that direct negotiations between the parties are the only route to such an outcome.
Deputy State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel emphasized that premature actions in New York, even with good intentions, would not lead to Palestinian statehood.
Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, his voice breaking, vowed resilience after the vote, declaring that the setback would neither defeat their resolve nor extinguish their vision.
“Our pursuit will not cease,” he stated. “The establishment of Palestine is inevitable. While some may see it as distant, we perceive it as imminent.” This represents the second attempt by the Palestinians for full membership and comes amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, a central aspect of the 75-year Israeli-Palestinian discord.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas first submitted the application for U.N. membership in 2011, but it did not garner the required support of nine out of the 15 Security Council members.
Nevertheless, the General Assembly granted their status as a non-member observer state in 2012 with a two-thirds majority, enabling Palestine to join various international organizations, including the International Criminal Court.
Algerian U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama, representing the Arab bloc, introduced the resolution, stating that admitting Palestine would remedy a longstanding injustice and contribute to peace through inclusion rather than exclusion.
Explaining the U.S. veto, Wood noted unresolved concerns about whether Palestine satisfies the criteria for statehood, citing Hamas’s influence in Gaza, a crucial part of the envisioned Palestinian state.
Wood reiterated the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution as the sole path to security and harmony for both Israel and Palestine, and to enable Israel to forge relations with all its Arab neighbors, including Saudi Arabia.
“The United States is steadfast in its engagement with the Palestinians and the wider region, not just to address the current crisis in Gaza but to foster a political resolution towards Palestinian statehood and U.N. membership,” Wood said.
Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, confirmed his dedication to a two-state solution while claiming Israel perceives Palestine as a perpetual strategic threat.
“Israel will strive to hinder the sovereignty of a Palestinian state and ensure the perpetual displacement or occupation of the Palestinian people,” he stated.
He challenged the council and diplomats in attendance, “What will the global community do? How will you respond?” Negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians have been stagnant for years, with Israel’s hard-line government opposing Palestinian statehood.
Israeli U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan dismissed the resolution as disconnected from on-ground realities and warned of potential destruction and impediments to future dialogue.
Six months after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, resulting in 1,200 deaths and described as the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, he accused the Security Council of aiming to reward the perpetrators with statehood.
Israel’s military response has claimed over 32,000 Palestinian lives, per Gaza’s health ministry, and decimated much of the territory, which many speakers condemned.
Following the vote, Erdan expressed gratitude to the U.S., and specifically President Joe Biden, for upholding truth and morality against hypocrisy.
He branded the Palestinian Authority, controlling the West Bank while the U.S. supports its takeover of Gaza, as “a terror-supporting entity.”
Erdan questioned Palestine’s eligibility for U.N. membership, citing the requirement of a “peace-loving” state that upholds U.N. Charter obligations.
“How can one credibly claim the Palestinians embody peace? How?” Erdan asked. “The Palestinians financially reward terrorists, incentivizing them to harm us. Their leaders fail to denounce terrorism, including the Oct. 7 attacks. They embrace Hamas as kin.”
Despite the Palestinians not fulfilling U.N. membership criteria, Erdan lamented the majority support in the council. “Your vote emboldens Palestinian obstinacy and hinders prospects for peace,” he stated.
