United States vetoes Palestine's entry into the United Nations UN

The United States voted against Palestine's bid to become a full member of the United Nations this Thursday. Had the US not vetoed it, Resolution 12 would have passed with support. The United Kingdom and Switzerland abstained, isolating the United States in its opposition to Palestinian access.

“The rapid path to statehood for the Palestinian people continues through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority with the support of the United States and other partners,” said the Security Council, Robert Wood, repeating statements already made public this afternoon by the US State Department. “A lasting peace can only be achieved through a two-state solution that guarantees Israel's security.”

This Thursday, at the UN in New York. A draft resolution recommending the recognition of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations, presented by Algeria on behalf of several Arab countries in the Security Council.

However, a US veto was already expected, as approval of the proposal would mean an effective and unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, which Washington opposes.

“We are very clear: emergency measures in New York, even with the best intentions, will not provide a state for the Palestinian people,” added Robert Wood, stressing that the Security Council committee that evaluated the draft resolution was unable to reach a consensus. On whether Palestine met the criteria for UN membership. That's why America is voting against it.

Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Switzerland currently serve on the Security Council.

Veto power is reserved for five permanent members: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China. If no one invokes a veto, nine votes in favor are needed for resolutions presented to the Security Council to be ratified.

Palestine is currently a non-member observer state at the United Nations, having been recognized by the General Assembly in 2012 with a majority of 138 votes in favor. At the time, the United States, one of the nine countries that voted against, deemed the resolution “unfortunate and counterproductive.”

Guterres says it is a “moral obligation” to support an “independent Palestinian state”.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres argued this Thursday that the international community has a “responsibility and moral obligation” to create a “fully independent, democratic, continuous, viable and sovereign Palestinian state”. Security Council Minister-level discussion on the situation in the Middle East.

“Failure to move towards a two-state solution will increase vulnerability and risks for millions of people across the region, who will continue to live under the constant threat of violence”, the UN chief explained.

Of the 193 members of the United Nations, more than 50 (including 27 European countries) have yet to recognize the State of Palestine.

In the same debate, Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, accused the organization of being incapable of “preventing wars and protecting human rights.” He opined that “support for the forced creation of a Palestinian-Nazi state will be remembered as the moment that hastened the downfall of the UN”. Helping the terrorists in Gaza survive is crucial for the Security Council.