UN General Assembly backs Palestinian bid for membership

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-general-assembly-set-back-palestinian-bid-membership-2024-05-10/

UNITED NATIONS, May 10 (Reuters) - The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly backed a Palestinian bid to become a full U.N. member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending the U.N. Security Council "reconsider the matter favorably."

The vote by the 193-member General Assembly was a global survey of support for the Palestinian bid to become a full U.N. member - a move that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state - after the United States vetoed it in the U.N. Security Council last month.

The assembly adopted a resolution with 143 votes in favor and nine against - including the U.S. and Israel - while 25 countries abstained. It does not give the Palestinians full U.N. membership, but simply recognizes them as qualified to join.

The resolution "determines that the State of Palestine ... should therefore be admitted to membership" and it "recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favorably."

[stopdiggin]

1. WHAT 'state' ? Do we have a location on the map?

Are they going to give them part of Jordan - Lebanon, Syria?
What government, or governing body, do you propose to 'recognize'?

It might be nice to have some kind of roadmap ... Or at least some clue of what we were talking about.
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[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. Some answers...

The United Nations has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war with neighboring Arab states.

The General Assembly resolution adopted on Friday does give the Palestinians some additional rights and privileges from September 2024 - like a seat among the U.N. members in the assembly hall - but they will not be granted a vote in the body.

The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012.

They are represented at the U.N. by the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank. Hamas ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in Gaza in 2007. Hamas - which has a charter calling for Israel's destruction - launched the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered Israel's assault on Gaza.

[NickB79]

5. So does that mean the people of Gaza aren't part of Palestine in the UN?

They are represented at the U.N. by the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank. Hamas ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in Gaza in 2007.

How exactly does this work? Does the UN support the PLO in future efforts to oust Hamas in a civil war?

[Darwins_Retriever]

3. Palestine does not exist

Okay, if Palestine gets in so should the Native American organizations get in. At least Native Americans have organized governments that govern actual lands.

[David__77]

4. It is true that, presently, there are millions of people without voting rights who are subjects of Israel.

[sarisataka]

7. What voting rights do Palestinians

In the West Bank and Gaza have? Should they be called subjects of the PA and Hamas?

[David__77]

9. No.

[Mosby]

8. There are millions of Palestinians who have no voting rights

According to international law, they should be allowed to vote for new leaders who will represent them with honesty and integrity but they are being prevented from doing that by Palestinian clans like Fatah and terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. These groups are benefitting from the chaos and the world blames Jews.

Eta: and apparently you.

[David__77]

10. Israel can give them voting rights just like they do settlers in East Jerusalem and West Bank.

[Mosby]

11. Why would they do that?

Is Palestine a separate country or not?

According to pretty much everyone, including the UN it is, but they refuse to negotiate borders with Israel.

[Darwins_Retriever]

12. There are Palestinians that are Israeli citizens and vote

It's something like 2 -3 million Palestinians are Israeli citizens. No Arab countries permit them to become citizens.

[David__77]

13. Yes a minority have voting rights. Millions are subject to Israeli sovereignty without right to vote.

[LeftInTX]

6. Doesn't change much of anything. They are not going to be voting members.

Snips for four paragraph rule:

Friday’s resolution was carefully tailored over the past few days, diluting its language so as not to trigger a cut-off of US funding under a 1990 law. It does not make Palestine a full member, or give it voting rights in the assembly, or the right to stand for membership of the security council, but the vote was a resounding expression of world opinion in favour of Palestinian statehood, galvanised by the continuing bloodshed and famine caused by Israel’s war in Gaza.


“Efforts to advance this resolution do not change the reality that the Palestinian Authority does not currently meet the criteria for UN membership under the UN charter,” the mission’s spokesperson, Nathan Evans, said. “Additionally, the draft resolution does not alter the status of the Palestinians as a “non-member state observer mission”.

According to the resolution, the Palestinian mission will now have to right to sit in the general assembly among other states in alphabetical order, rather than in its current observer seat at the back of the chamber. Palestinian diplomats will have the right to introduce proposals and amendments, they can be elected to official posts in the full chamber and on committees, and will have the right to speak on Middle Eastern matters, as well as the right to make statements on behalf of groups of nations in the assembly.

But the resolution also makes plain that “the state of Palestine, in its capacity as an observer state, does not have the right to vote in the general assembly or to put forward its candidature to United Nations organs.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/10/un-support-palestine-membership