UN Endorses Palestinian Statehood Declaration
The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly endorsed a French and Saudi-led declaration urging Palestinian statehood and advancing the two-state solution, despite strong objections from Israel and the United States.
Overwhelming Vote for the New York Declaration
The resolution, known as the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, passed with decisive support.
Key Provisions of the Declaration:
- An immediate end to the war in Gaza
- The deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission under a UN Security Council mandate
- A transfer of leadership in Gaza from Hamas to the Palestinian Authority, with international backing
- Condemnation of Israel’s attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Gaza
The seven-page document lays out “tangible, time-bound and irreversible steps” toward the creation of a Palestinian state. The declaration also condemns Israel’s attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Gaza, citing siege and starvation as having caused a “devastating humanitarian catastrophe.”
Strong Israeli and U.S. Opposition
Israel rejected the resolution outright. Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon called it “not diplomacy, but theatre.”
The United States echoed Israel’s position. U.S. diplomat Morgan Ortagus dismissed the measure as “a misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt” that undermines genuine peace efforts.
France, Saudi Arabia, and Arab Support
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot defended the resolution, stressing that it represented a unified international stance against Hamas.
The measure was co-signed in July at a UN conference by 17 member states, including several Arab countries. The Arab League also backed it.
Divisions Among Nations
Alongside Israel and the U.S., countries opposing the resolution included Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Tonga. Twelve other nations abstained.
Growing Push for Palestinian Statehood
The vote comes as global momentum builds for formal recognition of a Palestinian state. An upcoming UN summit on September 22 in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is expected to see countries such as Britain, Canada, Australia, and Belgium formally recognize Palestinian statehood.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the General Assembly vote, with spokesman Oren Marmorstein calling it “a political circus detached from reality.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel opposes granting the Palestinian Authority control of Gaza, arguing that such moves would only reward terrorism.
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