US Blocks Resolution For Full UN Membership For Palestine

The United States has blocked a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine. In the 15-member Security Council, twelve members voted in favor of the resolution while two countries – the UK and Switzerland – abstained. The US vetoed it. US allies France, Japan and South Korea supported the resolution.       

US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood told the Security Council that the veto does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood but instead is an acknowledgement that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties.       

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz praised the US for vetoing what he called a shameful proposal.       

The Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, criticized the US veto, saying in a statement that it was unfair, immoral, and unjustified, and defies the will of the international community.       

The resolution would have recommended that the 193-member UN General Assembly, where there are no vetoes, approve Palestine becoming the 194th member of the United Nations. Some 140 countries have already recognized Palestine, so its admission would have been approved, likely by a much higher number of countries. 

This is the second Palestinian attempt for full membership and comes as the war in Gaza has put the more than 75-year-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict at center stage.