A resolution aiming to chart a new course for the state of Palestine has faced its reckoning, having been dealt a decisive blow by the United States.
The United States on Thursday, April 18, 2024, vetoed a widely supported resolution at the UN Security Council (UNSC) that would have paved the way for the state of Palestine to gain full membership at the United Nations.
Twelve countries voted in favour of the resolution, while Britain and Switzerland abstained.
After vetoing the measure, the US Deputy Envoy to the UN, Robert Wood, said that Washington believes there is no other path to Palestinian statehood than through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
“We also have long been clear that premature actions here in New York, even with the best intentions, will not achieve statehood for the Palestinian people,” Wood said.
Meanwhile, before the vote on Thursday, Ziad Abu Amr, the UN special representative for the state of Palestine, questioned the premise that statehood must be earned through diplomatic dance alone.
He dismissed claims that the resolution would imperil political negotiations and prospects for peace.
“To those who say that recognising the Palestinian state must happen through negotiations and not through a UN resolution, we say: ‘How was the State of Israel established? Wasn’t that through a UN resolution, which was Resolution 181?’
“This resolution will not be an alternative to negotiations and to resolving pending issues. It will grant hope to Palestinians for an independent state after this hope dissipated.”
Ziad Abu Amr
One cannot overlook the historical irony in the US stance. As Ziad Abu Amr pointed out, the establishment of Israel itself was facilitated by a UN resolution, Resolution 181.
Yet, when it comes to recognizing Palestinian statehood, the US insists on a different approach, one that seems increasingly elusive amidst ongoing tensions and stalled peace talks.
The resolution was widely expected to fail, as the US, Israel’s staunchest ally, holds veto power at the Security Council and had opposed its passage.
The anticipated failure of the resolution underscores a sobering reality, that in the arena of international diplomacy, U.S veto power trumps Palestinian aspirations.
The state of Palestine currently is a non-member observer at the UN. An application to become a full UN member needs to be approved by the Security Council and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.
PA Condemns US Veto Of Palestine’s UN Membership
Palestinian Authority (PA) leader, Mahmoud Abbas’s office called the US veto of full UN membership for Palestine “a blatant aggression … which pushes the region ever further to the edge of the abyss.”
“The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will, and it will not defeat our determination,” Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said following the vote.
“We will not stop in our effort. The state of Palestine is inevitable. It is real,” he said.
“Please remember that once this session adjourns, in Palestine, there are innocents paying the price with their lives … for the delay in justice, freedom and peace.”
Riyad Mansour
Amar Bendjama, UN Ambassador for Algeria, the country which introduced the draft resolution recommending Palestinian membership to the UN General Assembly, said that “overwhelming” support for Palestine “sends a crystal-clear message” that the Palestinians belong as a full UN member state and that their supporters “will return stronger and more vocal.”
Hamas slammed the US for using its veto power at the UN Security Council to block a Palestinian bid for full UN membership.
Saudi Arabia also expressed regret over the failure of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to adopt a draft resolution accepting full membership of the State of Palestine in the United Nations.
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