(United Nations) The UN Security Council decided on Monday that it would respond by the end of April to the Palestinians’ request for full membership in the United Nations, a move described as “historic” by the Palestinians and virulently denounced by Israel.
“The Council decided that this deliberation should take place during the month of April,” declared Maltese Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, who holds the rotating presidency of the Council.
In September 2011, the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas launched the procedure requesting “the accession of the State of Palestine to the UN”, which was never completed. The Palestinians finally obtained the status of “non-member observer state” in November 2012.
Highlighting the Israeli offensive in Gaza, last week they relaunched their request for membership in a letter addressed to the Security Council, which initiated the examination process on Monday.
“This is a historic moment,” commented Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour. Even if success is more than unlikely.
Indeed, it would first require a positive recommendation from the Security Council (at least nine votes in favor, without a veto from a permanent member), then a two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly. But observers predict a veto from the United States, which had already opposed this membership in 2011.
“Our position is known and has not changed,” repeated American Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Monday after the first closed-door meeting of the “committee on the admission of new members”, an ad formation ad hoc of the Council.
The United States believes that the UN is not the place for the recognition of a Palestinian state, which according to them should be the result of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
They also highlight a US law that plans to cut funding to the UN if the Security Council accepts a Palestinian state outside of such a bilateral agreement.
Despite everything, the members of the Council decided that the work of the committee on admission “is useful and therefore that the committee will meet again on Thursday”, indicated the Maltese ambassador.
“Legitimate place”
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan virulently denounced the Palestinian request.
“The Security Council is currently discussing the recognition of a “Palestinazi” state,” he said from the podium of the General Assembly.
The mere consideration of this request is “already a victory” for those who committed and supported the Hamas attacks against Israel on October 7, he added, believing like the Americans that a Palestinian state should be the result of negotiations. for “a lasting solution” – negotiations which have been stalled for years.
The Israeli government opposes the two-state solution, supported by a large majority of the international community, including the United States.
“All we are asking is to take our legitimate place within the community of Nations,” argued Riyad Mansour, who hopes for a Security Council vote on April 18.
Asked about the existence of a draft resolution to this effect, Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama replied: “not yet, but soon”.
In the event of an American veto, it would not be the first time that a request for membership in the UN would be blocked in the Security Council.
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union repeatedly blocked the entry of allied countries from the other bloc. The last veto dates from 1976, when the Americans blocked entry into Vietnam.