UN General Assembly approves resolution that reactivates Palestine’s candidacy for member state | World

The General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) approved this Friday (10) a resolution that paves the way for Palestine to become a member of the United Nations and grants “new rights and privileges” to Palestinians.

The text asks the UN Security Council to approve Palestine becoming the 194th member of the United Nations.

The resolution was approved by 143 votes in favor, nine against and 25 abstentions. O Brazil voted in favor of the resolution. Argentina, Israel, United States, Czech Republic, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea voted against the measure.

If the Security Council agrees to the request, Palestine would join the UN as an “observer state”, without voting rights.

Still, the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, said that the measure is a big step towards the recognition of Palestine as a full member of the UN.

Israel criticized the approval, which it called a “prize for Hamas.”

In April, the US, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and therefore with veto power, blocked a resolution that provided for the approval of Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations.

This Friday, when explaining the United States’ vote against, the US ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, said that the US remains in favor of the creation of a Palestinian state — something that the country’s president, Joe Biden, has constantly defended.

“We have made it very clear that the apwe listen and seek to advance it in a meaningful way. Rather, it is a recognition that the creation of a state will result from a process that involves direct negotiations between the parties,” he declared.

However, Wood claimed to have voted against because Palestine’s candidacy still needs to be negotiated in a better way.

The resolution approved this Friday determines that Palestine is qualified for membership and recommends that the UN Security Council be in favor of this inclusion.

It also determines “rights and privileges on an equal footing with member states.”