The United Nations General Assembly supported Friday Palestine’s effort to become a full member of the UN, recognizing its qualifications for membership and recommending that the UN Security Council “favorably reconsider the matter”.
The resolution to extend Palestinian rights to the UN was approved with overwhelming support: 143 voted in favor, nine voted against and 25 abstained.
The resolution does not grant Palestinians full membership in the UN, but only recognizes them as qualified to join.
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The General Assembly resolution “decides that the State of Palestine… should therefore be admitted as a member” and “recommends that the Security Council favorably reconsider the question.”
“We want peace, we want freedom”
The Palestinian candidacy for full membership in the UN comes seven months after the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“We want peace, we want freedom,” Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the General Assembly before the vote. “A vote yes is a vote for Palestinian existence, it is not against any state. It’s an investment in peace.”
“Voting yes is the right thing to do,” he said in comments that drew applause. According to the UN’s founding Charter, membership is open to “peaceful States” that accept the obligations of that document and are able and willing to fulfill them.
Source: Reuters