Palestine has had non-member observer state status since 2012, limiting its rights compared to a full member. This move by the UN followed a heated debate session at the General Assembly.
On Friday, members of the United Nations passed a resolution at the General Assembly to accept full membership of Palestine. The resolution garnered an overwhelming proportion of support, with 143 nations in favor, and 9 against- US, Argentina, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Papua New Guinea, including a feral opposition from Israel. 25 states abstained from voting.
Urging the nations to vote a ‘yes’, Riyad Mansour representing the Palestinians said that a yes vote meant “a vote for Palestinian existence, it is not against any state. It is an investment in peace”.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the resolution and added, “Palestine will continue its endeavor to obtain full UN membership.”
Last month, the US had vetoed a widely backed Algerian resolution in the Security Council seeking Palestine’s admittance as a state, calling it “premature”. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, unlike the General Assembly resolutions.
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Strident Israeli Opposition
In the backdrop of Israel-Hamas conflict and tensions escalating at the Rafah border crossing as Israel Defence Forces’ (IDF) military tanks terrorize the city and its 1.4 million Palestinian refugees, the worldwide sympathy for the Palestinians pushed the permanent membership of the State in the United Nations to fruition. And the infuriated Zionist regime did not fail to throw a tantrum in the General Assembly expressing its resistance over the approval.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said that it had accepted a “terror state” into the ranks. In an act of defiance, the Israeli envoy shredded the charter while making a speech at the podium during the assembly. “You are shredding the charter with your own hands,” he said. “Yes, yes, that’s what you’re doing. Shredding the charter. Shame on you.”
“You are shredding the UN Charter” says the guy literally shredding the UN Charter and representing Israel that has breached and continues to breach the very purposes and principles the Charter was drafted to protect!
Take your silly props and leave. pic.twitter.com/wrcI5BgOdM— Ambassador Majed Bamya 🇵🇸 (@majedbamya) May 10, 2024
Meanwhile, the Irish ambassador to the United Nations schooled Israel for rejecting Palestinian statehood calling out their antics, making a fool of itself in front of the world.
Irish Ambassador schools Israel for rejecting Palestinian statehood: pic.twitter.com/iyvMHkO5kt
— PalMedia (@PalBint) May 11, 2024
What does a full UN membership entail ?
The current resolution has elevated the status of Palestine from an observer state to a non-voting member state. A new set of privileges and rights will be conferred to the state allowing them a seat among the member states in the General Assembly. It can submit and introduce proposals and amendments; and co-sponsor proposals and amendments, including issuing statements and explanation of votes along with the right to reply on behalf of a group within the UN and the rest privileges to add or delete items from an agenda.
The right to vote on resolutions can be conferred only by the Security Council, empowering the five permanent UNSC states — China, Russia, France, UK and USA to decide on Palestine’s prospects in near future.
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