by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution on Thursday, which had broad support and aimed to grant Palestine full United Nations (UN) membership.
On Thursday, the 15-member council voted on a draft resolution proposing that the 193-member U.N. General Assembly recognize Gaza as a state and admit it to the U.N. The resolution received support from twelve nations, including U.S. allies France, Japan, and South Korea, while the United Kingdom and Switzerland abstained. The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution, highlighting a significant division among its allies.
Had the United States not vetoed the resolution, it would have advanced to the 193-member General Assembly, where vetoes do not exist, to consider approving Palestine as the 194th member of the United Nations. Given that around 140 countries have already recognized the state of Palestine, its admission would likely have been approved.
Since 2012, Gaza has held the status of a nonmember observer state at the U.N. For Gaza to achieve full membership, a successful vote in the Security Council must be followed by the approval of at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood clarified the reasons behind the U.S. veto at the Security Council, emphasizing that the veto “does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood but instead is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties.”
Wood also noted “unresolved questions” about whether Palestine meets statehood criteria, citing Hamas’s influence in Gaza. Wood reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution as the sole path to secure peace between Israel and Palestine and foster Israel’s relations with all its Arab neighbors, including Saudi Arabia. This stance underlines the U.S. belief in resolving these issues through direct dialogue.
Israeli U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan criticized the resolution as being “disconnected from the reality on the ground,” warning that it “will only lead to destruction for years to come and damage any prospects for future dialogue.” He also expressed gratitude towards the Biden administration for “standing up for truth and morality in the face of hypocrisy and politics.”
Erdan criticized the Palestinian Authority (PA) in his remarks following the vote, stating, “I explained how the PA does not meet even the basic criteria, that they have no authority over their territory, and that the PA is a terror-supporting entity. Yet regardless of the Palestinians’ failure to meet the necessary criteria for UN membership, most of you, sadly, decided to reward Palestinian terror with a Palestinian state.”
Erdan also voiced his frustration over the Security Council’s failure to condemn Hamas for its actions on October 7, saying, “But nevertheless, you refuse to even condemn, you refuse to listen, you refuse to act, you even refuse to check the facts.”
Following the vote, Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour addressed the council, expressing unwavering resolve despite the resolution’s failure. He declared, “The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will and it will not defeat our determination.” He continued, “We will not stop in our effort. The state of Palestine is inevitable. It is real. Perhaps they see it as far away, but we see it as near.”
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from Portugal emphasized to the Security Council the urgency of the vote due to the recent escalations in the Israel-Hamas conflict. He stated, “Recent escalations make it even more important to support good-faith efforts to find lasting peace between Israel and a fully independent, viable, and sovereign Palestinian state. Failure to make progress toward a two-state solution will only increase volatility and risk for hundreds of millions of people across the region, who will continue to live under the constant threat of violence.”
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