The U.N. Security Council scheduled a vote for late Thursday on a resolution that would give a green light for a Palestinian state to join the United Nations as a full member. The U.S. is expected to veto the move, which is opposed by its ally Israel.
Quick Read
- U.N. Security Council Vote on Palestinian Statehood: The Security Council is set to vote this week on a resolution for Palestinian statehood as a full U.N. member. The U.S. opposes and has promised to veto.
- Schedule Change: Originally planned for Friday, Arab nations are pushing for the vote to occur Thursday during a ministerial meeting on Palestinian Authority’s membership request.
- Historical Context: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas first submitted the application in 2011 but it failed due to insufficient support and a promised U.S. veto.
- Israeli Opposition: Israel, particularly its current right-wing government, views these unilateral steps as bypassing direct negotiations and opposes Palestinian statehood.
- U.N. Secretary-General’s Call: Antonio Guterres has urged “maximum restraint” amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, emphasizing the danger of rhetoric and potential conflict in the region.
- China and Indonesia’s Position: After a meeting in Jakarta, both nations called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and expressed support for Palestine’s U.N. membership. They criticized the U.S. for obstructing cease-fire resolutions at the U.N. Security Council.
The Associated Press has the story:
U.N. Security Council will vote on Palestinian State full membership
Newslook- UNITED NATIONS – (AP)
The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to vote for late Thursday on a resolution that would give a green light for a Palestinian state to join the United Nations as a full member, a move opposed by the United States.
The vote was scheduled for Friday afternoon. But Arab nations are pressing for a vote Thursday, when the council is holding a ministerial meeting on the Palestinian Authority’s request for full U.N. membership.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered the application in 2011. That bid failed because the Palestinians did not get the required minimum support of nine of the Security Council’s 15 members.
In early April, after years of failed on-and-off peace talks, the Palestinians turned to the United Nations again to fulfill their dream of an independent state, sending a letter to the Security Council that was supported by 140 countries.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, had promised to veto any resolution endorsing Palestinian membership.
U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood reiterated the longstanding position last week: “The issue of full Palestinian membership is a decision that should be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians.”
Israel says such steps are an attempt to sidestep the negotiating process. Israel’s current right-wing government is dominated by hard-liners who oppose Palestinian statehood.
Malta, which holds the council presidency this month, announced Thursday morning that the vote will take place at 5 p.m. EDT. It will follow a ministerial meeting focusing on the Palestinians’ bid to raise their status from a non-member observer state to full membership.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered the Palestinian Authority’s application to become the 194th member of the United Nations to then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sept. 23, 2011. That bid failed because the Palestinians didn’t get the required minimum support of nine of the Security Council’s 15 members.
The United States had promised to veto any council resolution endorsing Palestinian membership. The U.S. says the issue is something that needs to be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians.
Israeli-Palestinian negotiations have been stalled for years, and Israel’s current right-wing government is dominated by hard-liners who oppose Palestinian statehood.
UN SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES `MAXIMUM RESTRAINT’
UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is reiterating his call for “maximum restraint” between Israel and Iran.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Wednesday that rhetoric in the Middle East is becoming “increasingly dangerous.” Dujarric said the world and the region “cannot afford another open conflict.”
The comments follow the Israeli prime minister’s vow to respond to Tehran’s first direct attack against his country and the Iranian’s president’s warning of a massive response if Israel does.
CHINA AND INDONESIA CALL FOR A CEASE-FIRE IN GAZA
The Chinese and Indonesian foreign ministers called for an immediate and lasting cease-fire in Gaza after a meeting Thursday in Jakarta, condemning the humanitarian costs of the Israel-Hamas war.
Indonesia’s foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, told reporters that the two countries share the same view about the importance of a cease-fire and of resolving the Palestinian problem through a two-state solution.
“I am sure that China would use its influence to prevent escalation,” Marsudi said, adding that China and Indonesia “would also fully support Palestine’s membership in the U.N.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi blamed the United States for holding up cease-fire resolutions at the United Nations.
The U.S. vetoed a number of proposed U.N. Security Council resolutions because they didn’t tie a cease-fire directly to the release of Israel hostages, or condemn Hamas’ attacks that prompted the war, before allowing a resolution to a pass with an abstention in late March.
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