The United Nations Security Council was embroiled in a heated debate on Thursday as the question of whether to approve a resolution recommending Palestine be admitted as a full member of the body took center stage. This move, a long-awaited recognition of statehood by the Palestinians, faced staunch opposition from the United States.
In Washington, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, Vedant Patel, made it clear that the resolution was “dead on arrival” as the United States, a permanent member with veto power, would vote against it. Despite this, the 15-member council was still scheduled to vote on the draft resolution later in the day, which recommends the admission of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations.
The U.S. has consistently maintained that recognition of Palestinian statehood should come through a negotiated agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to resolve their decades-old conflict. This stance has put the U.S. at odds with the Palestinian push for full U.N. membership.
During the debate, Palestinian official Ziad Abu Amr challenged the U.S. position, questioning how Palestinian statehood recognition could harm international peace and security. He pointed out that Israel itself was established through a U.N. resolution, not through negotiations with Arab countries, referencing Resolution 181 passed in 1947.
The Palestinian bid for full U.N. membership comes in the aftermath of Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israeli towns, sparking a devastating war in Gaza. The conflict has resulted in a high number of casualties, with the majority being Palestinian civilians. Additionally, Israel’s expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank has further complicated the situation.
While Israel became a full member of the U.N. in 1949, Palestine was granted nonmember observer state status in 2012. Previous attempts by Palestine to gain full membership in the U.N. have been unsuccessful due to a lack of support from the Security Council members.
The U.S. State Department confirmed its intention to veto the revived Palestinian bid, emphasizing the importance of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority as the most viable path towards statehood. Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Gilad Erdan, also condemned the Palestinian bid, labeling it a “prize for terror.”
As the debate rages on at the United Nations Security Council, the future of Palestinian statehood recognition remains uncertain, with the U.S. firmly opposed to the resolution.
