Following the U.S. veto of a Security Council proposal to recognize Palestine as a member state of the United Nations, Palestinians are now pushing forward with a groundbreaking initiative. This Friday, they plan to present a resolution at the UN General Assembly that would grant them rights akin to those of a full member state, including voting privileges. Currently, a draft of this resolution is being shared among nations for feedback, which could lead to further amendments.
This Palestinian request is without precedent and presents a significant challenge for Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has been actively dealing with this matter for several days, prompting urgent diplomatic efforts from Israeli embassies worldwide. Israeli officials have noted that this initiative strays from standard UN procedures, which typically require a Security Council endorsement for state membership. Israeli embassies have been directed to solicit opposition to this proposal from various foreign ministries. The General Assembly's resolution seeks to endow Palestinians with all the rights of a full member state, barring the official title.
The draft resolution asserts: "The State of Palestine is a peace-loving state as defined by the UN, capable and willing to uphold the commitments of the UN Charter and should thus be accepted as a member of the UN. The Assembly recommends that the Security Council revisit this issue positively, to grant the State of Palestine rights that ensure its full and effective participation in the General Assembly, various international meetings under the UN, and other UN bodies on an equal footing."
Israel has voiced strong opposition to this proposal, citing among other concerns, the ongoing hostage situation in Gaza. "The release of the hostages must be at the top of the priorities. We expect all our friends to emphasize at this time the demand for immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages and to condemn the Hamas terrorist organization. The current focus on the Palestinian state does not reflect the actual situation on the ground, it strengthens Hamas, hardens its stance in negotiations for the release of the captives, and could jeopardize the crucial humanitarian process of their release," Israel said in a statement.
Furthermore, the statement addresses attempts to impose a political settlement on Israel following the terrorist attacks of October 7 and the Iranian attack on April 13, viewing them as rewards for Hamas and Iran. "It must not be forgotten that on October 7, Hamas launched a brutal and unprecedented attack against the State of Israel, the worst atrocity against Jews since World War II. Additionally, Iran attacked Israel on April 13 with unprecedented firing of hundreds of UAVs, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. This resolution proposal lends support to Palestinian terrorism and Iranian aggression, while 133 captives are still held in the Gaza Strip. Even countries that have previously recognized the Palestinians bilaterally should now oppose this resolution, given the circumstances," the statement said.
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'I hope the United States will cease funding the UN' - Gilad Erdan
(Photo: EPA/SARAH YENESEL)
"The Palestinians do not meet the criteria for full membership in the UN. A Security Council committee unequivocally determined (April 16), as it did in 2011, that there is no consensus among the Security Council members regarding the Palestinians meeting the required criteria to be accepted in the UN as a full member, nor do the Palestinians do not meet the required criteria of a peace-loving state with effective governance and abstention from the use of force. Especially after October 7, the situation regarding these criteria has only deteriorated. It cannot be claimed that the PLO has effective governance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, especially given the split between the West Bank and Gaza, Hamas' control of the Strip, and its military capabilities. Nor can it be claimed that the Palestinians are peace-loving and abstain from the use of force, given Palestinian terrorism led by Hamas and the PFLP and the lack of condemnation of terrorism by the PLO, incitement, and the policy of paying salaries to terrorists."
Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, responded to the Palestinian initiative. "The Palestinians are again exploiting the automatic majority and the moral decay of the UN, and the decision will not change anything on the ground but will prove how much the UN is disconnected from reality and rewards terrorism. Since the initiative is contrary to the UN Charter, if it is approved - I hope the United States will cease funding the UN, in accordance with American law."