Security Council vote

US veto against Palestine becoming a full member of the UN

Vote in the UN Security Council at Thursday's meeting(Bild: AP)

A resolution for the full membership of a Palestinian state in the United Nations has failed in the UN Security Council due to a veto by the USA. Twelve member states voted in favor of the resolution in New York on Thursday, while the UK and Switzerland abstained.

A few weeks ago, Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour wrote a letter to UN chief António Guterres asking for the motion, which had already been tabled in 2011, to be resubmitted to the Security Council. A competent Security Council committee had examined the motion but was unable to agree on a uniform response. Algeria then put the resolution to the vote anyway.

"Aggression against international law"
The Palestinian Authority condemned the US move. "This aggressive American policy towards Palestine, its people and its legitimate rights is a blatant aggression against international law," explained the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It was "an encouragement to continue the genocidal war against our people".

The rejection "will not break our will and will not stop our determination", Mansour said. "We will not stop our efforts. The state of Palestine is inevitable, it is real."

Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour(Bild: AP)

To be successful, at least nine of the 15 members of the UN's most powerful body would have had to vote in favor, and there could not have been a veto from the five permanent council members - China, France, Russia, the UK and the US. If successful, the motion would have had to be referred to the UN General Assembly for a vote, where a two-thirds majority would have been required.

USA still in favor of two-state solution
"The United States continues to strongly support the two-state solution," said US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood after the vote. However, Palestinian statehood could only be achieved through direct negotiations between the parties. The two-state solution envisages an independent Palestinian state coexisting with Israel.

Israel has repeatedly criticized the fact that the Security Council is even discussing this proposal, calling it "immoral". "Talking to this Council is like talking to a wall," said Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan. The supportive voices would encourage the Palestinians not to return to the negotiating table and "make peace almost impossible".

China: "Sad day"
The Chinese ambassador spoke of a "sad day" and expressed his "disappointment" at the US veto. The dream of the Palestinian people had been destroyed.

Immediately after the vote, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz praised the US veto. Recognition of a Palestinian state six months after the massacre on October 7 would be a reward for Hamas terrorism, he wrote on Platform X (see post above).