Palestine's UN Full Membership Bid Rejected... US Exercises Veto (Summary)

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a vote on the 18th (local time) regarding Palestine's membership as a full member state of the UN, but the resolution was rejected due to the veto exercised by the permanent member, the United States.

Photo related to the Security Council [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media including the Associated Press, the Security Council discussed a resolution recommending Palestine's full membership to the UN General Assembly at 5 p.m. that day. Out of the 15 member states of the Council, 12 voted in favor, but the United States exercised its veto. For the agenda to pass the Security Council, it must receive the support of at least 9 of the 15 members, and none of the five permanent members? the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France?may exercise a veto.

The United States has emphasized that "Palestine must first negotiate directly with Israel, with whom it is in conflict," and has consistently blocked Palestine's full membership in the UN. Palestine first applied for full UN membership in 2011, but the bid was blocked by the veto of the United States, Israel's closest ally. Subsequently, in 2012, Palestine was upgraded from an observer entity to an observer state in the UN General Assembly, a status it has maintained to this day.

Robert Wood, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, stated after the vote, "The United States has long made clear that premature actions at the UN, even if well-intentioned, will not achieve the establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people." He added, "The United States has long urged the Palestinian Authority to undertake necessary reforms to prepare for statehood," and explained, "There remain unresolved issues regarding whether Palestine meets important membership criteria."

Ant?nio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, said at the Security Council meeting on the Palestinian issue that morning, "Due to recent escalations in tension, it has become even more important to support good-faith efforts to find lasting peace between a fully independent and viable sovereign Palestinian state and Israel." He added, "Failure to make progress toward a two-state solution will only increase instability and risks, forcing hundreds of millions in the region to live under the constant threat of violence."