No more daydreaming for the Palestinians at the UN. On Thursday, the United States ended its hope of full membership in the organization, unsurprisingly vetoing in the Security Council a demand hated by its Israeli ally, in the midst of the war in Gaza.
For several weeks, the Palestinians, who have had the lower status of “non-member observer state” since 2012, as well as the Arab countries, have implored the Council to accept that a “Palestinian state” – already recognized unilaterally by 137 states members of the UN, according to the Palestinian Authority’s count – takes its “legitimate” place within the United Nations.
The ace. The United States, which did everything to delay the vote, did not hesitate to use its right of veto which it regularly uses in favor of its Israeli ally. The draft resolution presented by Algeria, which recommended Palestinian membership, received 12 votes in favor – including that of France -, 1 against and 2 abstentions (United Kingdom and Switzerland).
“The State of Palestine is inevitable”
The result of the vote was immediately endorsed by the Palestinian Authority, which saw it as “blatant aggression” pushing the Middle East “to the brink”. This rejection “will not break our will, will not stop our determination. We will not stop our efforts. The State of Palestine is inevitable, it is real,” said the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour.
“Do not forget that when this session is adjourned, innocent people in Palestine will continue to pay with their lives and the lives of their children the price of Israeli actions, (…), the price of delaying justice, of freedom and peace,” he lamented.
Hamas, in power in the Gaza Strip, also condemned the American veto. Assuring that the Palestinian people would continue “their struggle until the establishment (…) of an independent and fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital”.
A “very clear message”
But despite the American veto, the “overwhelming” support of Council members “sends a very clear message: the State of Palestine deserves its place” at the UN, launched Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama, promising on behalf of the group Arab to resubmit such a request at a later date. “Yes, we will come back, stronger and noisier. » The admission of a State to the UN must receive a positive recommendation from the Council (at least nine votes out of 15 in favor, without veto from a permanent member), then be approved by the General Assembly, by majority two-thirds.
The United States has repeatedly reiterated that its position “has not changed” since 2011, when the membership application presented by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas fizzled out before even reaching the Council stage.
“This vote does not reflect opposition to a Palestinian state, but is a recognition that it can only arise from direct negotiations between the parties”, justified the deputy American ambassador Robert Wood, regretting “premature actions here in New York, even with the best intentions.” The United States also highlighted American legislation that would require it to cut its funding to the UN in the event of Palestinian membership outside of such a bilateral agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
Israel unhappy with rejection
The last veto of a state’s membership in the UN dates back to 1976, when the Americans blocked entry into Vietnam. The Israelis virulently denounced the Palestinian initiative, criticizing the simple fact that the Council is examining it. And its rejection did not satisfy them, their ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan denouncing the countries which supported it.
“Talking to this Council is like talking to a wall,” he said, believing that these favorable voices would encourage the Palestinians not to return to the negotiating table and “make peace almost impossible”. The Israeli government opposes the two-state solution, defended by a very large majority of the international community, including the United States.
In this context, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres painted a frightening picture of the situation in the Middle East “on the brink of the precipice” before the Security Council. “A miscalculation, a miscommunication, a mistake, could lead to the unthinkable, a widespread regional conflict which would be devastating for all those concerned, and for the rest of the world,” he warned. As for Gaza, “six and a half months of Israeli military operations have created humanitarian hell,” he lamented.
Source AFP