JAKARTA - The Palestinian Presidency strongly condemned the United States' use of veto rights in the United Nations Security Council, which effectively prevents Palestine from obtaining full membership in the UN, at a council meeting on Thursday.
The Council vetoed a draft resolution recommending to the 193-member UN General Assembly that "the State of Palestine be admitted to membership" of the UN. In fact, the draft received the support of 12 other council member countries, while Britain and Switzerland chose to abstain.
Describing the US veto as unfair, unethical, and unjustified, the Palestinian Presidency stressed this veto goes against the wishes of the international community, which strongly supports full Palestinian membership in the UN.
The Palestinian presidency said that most countries in the world have recognized Palestine since 2012, when the UN General Assembly approved upgrading Palestine's status to a non-member observer state.
"US aggressive policy towards Palestine and its legitimate rights is a blatant violation of international law. It fuels Israel's ongoing campaign of aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and pushes the region to the edge ravine," said the Presidency, citing WAFA, April 19.
"This aggressive US veto reveals a contradiction in American policy, which claims to support a two-state solution but has repeatedly obstructed it through vetoes of resolutions in the Security Council that oppose Palestine and its legitimate rights," he stressed.
"Achieving peace, security, and stability in the region and the world depends on implementing resolutions of international legitimacy, ending the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine, and recognizing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as the capital," he continued.
The Palestinian Presidency added that it is grateful to the member states that support Palestine to obtain full membership in the UN, stating that this international vote in favor of the rights of the Palestinian people shows the world's united stance behind the values of justice, freedom, and peace.
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It is known that Palestine is currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood granted by the UN General Assembly in 2012.
However, an application for full UN membership must be approved by the Security Council and must be approved by at least two-thirds of the member states of the General Assembly.
The UN Security Council itself has long supported the vision of two countries living side by side within safe and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, all territories Israel captured in 1967.
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