General Assembly.
The recent frustration of Palestine's bid to become a full Member of the United Nations is the focus of discussion at today's session of the United Nations General Assembly.
A 2022 initiative of the UN General Assembly (resolution 76/262) called for the President of the General Assembly to convene a formal meeting of the General Assembly within 10 working days to debate the situation in question of the veto if China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, which are permanent members of the Security Council, use their veto powers.
On April 18, the United States vetoed a draft resolution recommending that the General Assembly vote allow Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations.
Palestine is currently a "permanent observer state" of the United Nations, which means that it can participate in all United Nations meetings, but cannot vote on draft resolutions and decisions of its principal bodies and organizations.
The Security Council is divided
Today's discussion is taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas's bloody attack on Israel on 7 October.
In his statement, the President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, said that the General Assembly had convened the discussion because divisions within the Security Council persisted and hindered its ability to carry out its responsibilities effectively.
He encouraged States to use the discussion "as an opportunity to consider how the two principal organs of the United Nations – the General Assembly and the Security Council – can work together to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine".
United States: Not opposed to Palestinian statehood
Robert A. Wood, deputy permanent representative of the United States to the United Nations, said that as a permanent member of the Security Council, the United States has a special responsibility to ensure that its actions promote international peace and security in addition to being consistent with the UN Charter.
He noted that the report of the Committee on the Admission of New Members reflected that there was no agreement among Member States on whether the applicant State met the criteria for membership under Article 4 of the Charter of the United Nations, including whether it met the requirements to be considered a State.
He said the United States has long called for the necessary reforms in the Palestinian Authority, noting that "Hamas, a terrorist organization, is currently exercising power and influence in Gaza, which is an integral part of the country envisaged in this resolution." “
He reiterated that the United States continues to strongly support the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, and said that this vote "does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood, but rather recognizes that Palestinian statehood can be achieved only through direct negotiations between the two sides".
Wood concluded by noting that the General Assembly had held two meetings on the same veto because a number of countries had formally requested the convening of the tenth emergency special session on the matter.
"We believe that convening this meeting today is both inconsistent with Resolution 262 and an improper use of the time and resources of the General Assembly," he said. ”
Palestine: Joining the United Nations is long overdue
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, said that at the moment he is addressing the General Assembly on behalf of his country, the massacres against the Palestinian people continue and show no signs of abating".
He said that the immediate ceasefire, which has long been called for by the General Assembly and called for by the Security Council, is indispensable and cannot be further delayed.
He said that Palestine "should have become a member of the United Nations a long time ago" and that "we will never accept that the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, the right to statehood and the right to join the United Nations are in any way subject to Israel's veto".
"For those countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine, we say there is no reason for further delay," he said. Those who want to destroy the Palestinian state, and any chance of peace, will not wait any longer. ”
He indicated that Palestine would now refer the issue to the resumed tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly for consideration and urged the Security Council to reconsider Palestine's application for membership.
Mansour called on every country to use the means available to end the massacre in Gaza and to promote freedom and peace.
"It is time to recognize the State of Palestine," he said, and expressed gratitude to the more than 140 countries that have already taken this "important step".
"We see no reason to delay any further delay for those countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine," he said. Those who want to destroy the State of Palestine and with it any chance of peace are now rushing to do so. “
Israel: "Rogue states" are not allowed
Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, noted that Tuesday marked the end of the Passover holiday and that "there is a hole in the heart of every Jewish family" as they focus on the atrocities of October 7 and the suffering of Israelis held hostage by Hamas.
However, he said: "At a time when the people of the mainland are commemorating this Passover with grief, the United Nations is once again trying to reward the perpetrators of those horrific events." The UN does not give a damn about Israel. To hell with all of it, our security and future, and our hostages. ”
He said that nothing reflected the decaying values of the United Nations more than the process of advancing Palestinian statehood.
Erdan said the United Nations had never condemned Hamas or taken any steps to free the Israeli hostages, but instead focused on recognizing Palestine as a terrorist state.
He noted that the Palestinian Authority did not meet the criteria for being a State, and that no Palestinian leader had condemned Hamas.
He said granting full membership to the UN would only produce two "devastating results" – further fuelling terrorism and sending a clear message to Palestinians that they would never have to sit at the negotiating table, let alone make compromises.
"These UN meetings will be remembered in the future as one of the main obstacles to conflict resolution," he said. Mark my words. Today's United Nations is a major obstacle to peace. ”