The United States blocked the U.N. Security Council on Thursday from moving forward on a Palestinian bid to be recognized as a full member state at the United Nations, sparking controversy and strong reactions from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, had described the bid for full-member status as an effort “to take our rightful place among the community of nations.” However, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, denounced the resolution as a “prize for terror,” accusing the U.N. of being committed to “multiterrorism.”
The vote in the Security Council saw 12 countries in favor of the resolution, one opposed (the United States), and two abstentions. The U.S. justified its veto by stating that the most expeditious path toward statehood for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The resolution needed at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the five permanent members of the Council to pass. Despite the setback, the Palestinian Authority has been seeking statehood for decades, with the territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip at the center of the dispute.
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority has a long history, with little progress made since the Oslo Accords in the 1990s. The situation is further complicated by the involvement of militant groups like Hamas and external actors like Iran.
The rejection of the statehood resolution by the U.S. has reignited tensions in the region and raised questions about the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The international community continues to call for a two-state solution, but achieving that goal remains a significant challenge.
