United States: The UN general assembly overwhelmingly agreed to support the Palestinian bid for full UN membership in a decision that marked Israel’s increasing isolation on the international scene amid widespread concern over the Gaza War and the severity of the humanitarian catastrophe in the region.
By a vote of 143 to 9, with 25 abstentions, the assembly approved a resolution urging the UN Security Council to grant the state of Palestine full membership and expand its current mandate to include several new rights and privileges beyond those permitted by its current observer status.
Israel quickly chastised the extremely inflammatory gesture. Before the vote, its representative to the UN, Gilad Erdan, gave a scathing speech criticizing the resolution and those who supported it.
“Today, I will hold up a mirror for you,” Erdan said, taking out the small paper shredder in which he shredded a small copy of the cover of the UN charter. He told the assembly that, “You are shredding the UN charter with your own hands. Yes, yes, that’s what you’re doing. Shredding the UN charter. Shame on you.”
The voting was taking place while Israeli forces were attacking Rafah, the southernmost town and many Gazans’ only haven, according to Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour.
The resolution passed on Friday underwent extensive drafting over the previous few days, to avoid a 1990 law-mandated suspension of US support. Though it does not grant Palestine full membership, voting rights in the assembly, or the ability to run for security council membership, the vote was a clear indication of the global public’s strong support for Palestinian statehood, which was sparked by the ongoing suffering and starvation brought on by Israel’s war in Gaza.
Due to the enhanced advantages the resolution gave the Palestinian delegation, Israel and several influential Republicans wanted US financing to be cancelled even before the assembly’s Friday morning decision.
In addition to voting against the resolution, the US mission to the UN issued a warning, threatening to exercise its veto once more should the issue of Palestinian membership come back up for a vote in the security council.
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