The US has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have paved a way for Palestine to become a member of the world body.
Palestine is currently a “permanent observer state” at the UN that participates in many meetings but does not have voting rights.
The draft resolution debated on Thursday contained a recommendation to the UN General Assembly to hold a vote on updating Palestine’s status within the organization. The document was rejected with 12 votes in favor, one against, and two abstentions.
US Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs Robert Wood said that “there are unresolved questions as to whether [Palestine] meets the criteria to be considered a state.” He argued that Palestine cannot be admitted to the UN as long as the militant group Hamas controls Gaza.
Washington continues to support the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, Wood stressed.
“This vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood, but instead is an acknowledgement that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties,” he said in a statement.
The draft was heavily criticized by Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan, who argued that the resolution was “disconnected [from] the reality on the ground” and would have had “zero positive effect for any party.” He slammed the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank but not Gaza, as “a terror-supporting entity that does not deserve any status in the UN.”
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