On May 10, the 193-member United Nations General Assembly voted on a resolution to grant new rights and privileges of a member state to Palestine, an observer state. The Assembly also voted to recommend that the Security Council take another look at Palestine’s request for UN membership. By passing the resolution, the UN General Assembly determined that Palestine is qualified for membership.
The resolution passed with 143 votes, well over the 118 necessary for approval. The United States was one of 9 member states that voted against it. That’s because the adoption of the resolution will not bring about a tangible change for Palestinians.
“Sustainable peace in the region can be achieved only through a two-state solution, with Israel’s security guaranteed, where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side with equal measures of freedom and dignity,” said Robert Wood, United States Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs. “It remains the U.S. view that unilateral measures at the UN and on the ground will not advance this goal.”
“Our vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood; we have been very clear that we support it and seek to advance it meaningfully. Instead, it is an acknowledgement that statehood will come only from a process that involves direct negotiations between the parties,” he said.
“There is no other path that guarantees Israel’s security and future as a democratic Jewish state,” said Ambassador Wood. “There is no other path that guarantees Palestinians can live in peace and with dignity in a state of their own. And there is no other path that leads to regional integration between Israel and all its Arab neighbors.”
“The United States is committed to intensifying its engagement with the Palestinians and the rest of the region to advance a political settlement that will create a path to Palestinian statehood and subsequent membership in the United Nations,” he said.
“The United States will continue to oppose measures that undermine the prospect of a two-state solution,” said Ambassador Wood.
“We believe a two-state solution … is the best way to achieve a durable peace in the region, along with security for Israelis and Palestinians. It remains the U.S. view that the most expeditious path toward statehood and UN membership for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with the support of the United States and other partners.”
