The United Nations General Assembly voted on Friday to support Palestine's bid for UN membership, recognizing it as qualified to join the international body.
The 193-member General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of the resolution, with 143 countries supporting the Palestinian bid. Notably, the United States and Israel were among the nine nations that voted against the resolution, while 25 countries abstained from voting.
While the resolution does not grant full UN membership to Palestine, it acknowledges its qualification to join the organization. The resolution states that it "determines that the State of Palestine ... should therefore be admitted to membership" and it "recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favorably."
The resolution also calls on the UN Security Council to "reconsider the matter favorably," according to Reuters.
US Deputy Permanent Representative Robert Wood Robert Wood explained before the General Assembly that the vote would not advance a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel.
"Our vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood; we have been very clear that we support it and seek to advance it meaningfully. Instead, it is an acknowledgment that statehood will only come from a process that involves direct negotiations between the parties," he said.
Palestine is currently a non-UN member observer state. It was granted a de facto recognition of statehood by the UN General Assembly in 2012. It is represented at the UN by the Palestinian Authority, the governing body in the West Bank.
The 193-member General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of the resolution, with 143 countries supporting the Palestinian bid. Notably, the United States and Israel were among the nine nations that voted against the resolution, while 25 countries abstained from voting.
While the resolution does not grant full UN membership to Palestine, it acknowledges its qualification to join the organization. The resolution states that it "determines that the State of Palestine ... should therefore be admitted to membership" and it "recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favorably."
The resolution also calls on the UN Security Council to "reconsider the matter favorably," according to Reuters.
"We want peace, we want freedom," Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour said to the UN. "A yes vote is a vote for Palestinian existence, it is not against any state. ... It is an investment in peace."
"Voting yes is the right thing to do," he added.US Deputy Permanent Representative Robert Wood Robert Wood explained before the General Assembly that the vote would not advance a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel.
"Our vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood; we have been very clear that we support it and seek to advance it meaningfully. Instead, it is an acknowledgment that statehood will only come from a process that involves direct negotiations between the parties," he said.
Palestine is currently a non-UN member observer state. It was granted a de facto recognition of statehood by the UN General Assembly in 2012. It is represented at the UN by the Palestinian Authority, the governing body in the West Bank.
