In a significant setback for Israel, the United Nations General Assembly voted on Friday, with an overwhelming majority of 143-9, to extend new "rights and privileges" to Palestinians and to revisit their application to become the 194th member of the U.N.
The nine nations that voted against the resolution were Czechia, Hungary, Argentina, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Israel, and the United States.
The United States, which has previously opposed Palestine's membership, reiterated its stance prior to the vote. On April 18, the U.S. vetoed a council resolution that would have paved the way for Palestine's full U.N. membership, a long-standing ambition of the Palestinians that Israel has consistently sought to thwart.
U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood clarified on Thursday that the Biden administration was against the assembly resolution. The United States was among the nine countries that voted against it, alongside Israel.
"We've been very clear from the beginning there is a process for obtaining full membership in the United Nations, and this effort by some of the Arab countries and the Palestinians is to try to go around that," Wood said on Thursday. "We have said from the beginning the best way to ensure Palestinian full membership in the U.N. is to do that through negotiations with Israel. That remains our position."
The resolution's passage infuriated Israel, which is currently engaged in a conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israeli ambassador to the U.N Gilad Erdan tore up a copy of the groups charter, stating, You are shredding the U.N. charter with your own hands. Yes, yes, thats what youre doing. Shame on you.
Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister, Katz, took to Twitter to express his disapproval of the resolution, arguing that it rewards violence. He wrote, "The political theater of the United Nations made an artificial, distorted and disconnected decision, which gives a reward to the murderers of ... Hamas and harms the efforts to free the abductees. The message that the UN is sending to the region saturated with pain is - violence pays off."
In stark contrast, Palestines ambassador expressed a different perspective, criticizing the war initiated by Hamas while expressing gratitude to college students across the U.S. who have demonstrated their support for the group. He thanked protestors on U.S. university campuses and abroad who have demonstrated against the Israel-Hamas war, stating, Our flag flies high and proud in Palestine and across the globe, and on the campus of Columbia University. It has become a symbol by all those who believe in freedom and is just ruled by all those who can no longer stand idly by in the face of such utter injustice.
Israel finds itself increasingly isolated on the global stage, with the United States as its only powerful ally. However, despite President Bidens declaration of ironclad support, he has repeatedly undermined the Israelis and recently announced that he will pause certain weapons shipments if the IDF attacks the Hamas stronghold of Rafah. This raises questions about the nature of this 'friendship.'
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