UN General Assembly approves Palestinian membership bid

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Friday approved a resolution that would grant new "rights and privileges" to Palestine by a vote of 143 to 9 with 25 abstentions. The vote also recognizes Palestine's right to become the 194th member of the body.

This second part means that a Palestinian membership bid will be forwarded to the UN Security Council to "reconsider the matter favorably." A Palestinian bid submitted to the Security Council last month was vetoed by the United States despite widespread support in the General Assembly. The US is expected to repeat its veto.

US Deputy UN Ambassador Robert Wood confirmed this position, saying the Biden administration opposes the current resolution.

Should Palestine become a full member it would effectively acknowledge Palestinian statehood, something that Israel, a close US ally, has fought to keep from happening. 

Palestine has been a non-voting observer to the UN since 2012.

In the past, some nations have taken issue with the Palestinian bid, pointing to the requirement that prospective members must be "peace-loving nations."

The situation in the Palestinian Territories, and specifically Gaza, where more than 34,000 people have been killed since Israel launched its retaliatory military operation in response to an October 7, 2023, attack by Islamist Hamas militants, has repeatedly enraged members of the General Assembly who have called for a cease-fire in the enclave.

Hamas — considered by the US, EU and others to be a terrorist organization — has run Gaza since 2007. The West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1948, is partially administered by the Palestinian Authority, a Hamas rival.

js/lo (AP, Reuters)