This time, the Arab states decided not to stop at a negative decision by the Security Council concerning Palestine's full membership of the UN: They pushed the international community to ask it to "favorably" review its copy, on Friday, May 10, whereas the United States had vetoed this request three weeks earlier. A total of 143 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations recognized on Friday that Palestine met the necessary criteria to join the organization, and granted it new rights as an observer member. Nine countries, including the US and Israel, voted against, and 25 abstained.
The resolution "determines that the state of Palestine (...) should therefore be admitted to membership" and "recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favorably." This resolution "would have a profound impact on the future of the Palestinian people," even if, in itself, it "does not do justice to the state of Palestine," which remains an observer, explained Mohamed Abushahab, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, introducing the text on behalf of the Arab countries.
The original proposal was to grant voting rights to the Palestinians, who have held an observer seat since 2012. However, this proposal was seen by many diplomats as an attempt to circumvent the UN Charter, under which only the Security Council can accept new members. It was therefore dropped, in order to rally the widest possible support and send a strong political message to the Council. In contrast, 11 new rights have been granted to the Palestinians, but these are essentially of a ceremonial nature. The Palestinian Authority welcomed the "overwhelming majority" and the "international consensus."
"We want peace, we want to be free," insisted Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador. "A yes vote is a vote for Palestinian existence, it is not against any state (...) It is an investment in peace."
The text, which confirms a clear paradigm shift since the Palestinians' last similar request in 2011, provoked the anger of Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan. "Shame on you!" roared Erdan, who accused the Assembly of a "destructive vote" on the UN Charter, which stipulates that any "peaceful state" can become a member of the organization. "As long as so many of you are 'Jew-hating,' you don't really care that the Palestinians are not 'peace-loving,'" continued Erdan, before shredding a copy of the Charter to make his point.
In the historic crisis triggered by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the Palestinian Authority has been marginalized and discredited in the eyes of the Palestinians themselves. The only field in which it is making progress is that of international diplomacy. For this reason, Friday's vote was an important milestone, confirming a favorable momentum.
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