UN: Security Council to vote Thursday on Palestinian accession

On Thursday, April 18, the UN Security Council will decide on Palestine’s request to join the United Nations as a full member state. In the context of the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has so far left close to 34,000 dead, the Palestinians revived this demand in early April, which dates back to 2011. It has little chance of success, however, due to opposition from the veto-wielding United States.

The vote will take place on Thursday, several diplomatic sources said on Tuesday night, and the date coincides with a meeting planned for several weeks of the Council on the situation in Gaza, where several ministers from Arab countries are expected to attend. The Arab group had already issued a statement on Tuesday evening confirming its “unfailing support» at the request of the Palestinians.

“We invite all members of the Security Council to vote for the draft resolution (…). At the very least, we ask Council members not to obstruct this essential initiative», they stated in this text published on the account X Palestinian Mission to the UN. Draft resolution “recommended» simply for the General Assembly to recognize »the State of Palestine as a member of the United Nations“.

Admission of a country to the UN is carried out by a decision of the General Assembly, with a two-thirds majority, but only after a positive recommendation of the Security Council in this regard.

According to the Palestinian Authority, 137 of the 193 UN member states already recognize the Palestinian state. Logically, the request would have every chance of being accepted by the UN General Assembly. But that would require going through the Security Council stage, where the United States, opposed to the Palestinian initiative, would not hesitate to use its veto in accordance with the wishes of its Israeli ally.

In September 2011, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas initiated the procedure to seek membership of the State of Palestine in the UN, which was never achieved, in the face of American opposition. In November 2012, the Palestinians finally received the status of “non-member observer state» during the voting at the General Assembly.

In recent weeks, the United States has repeatedly reiterated that its position is “did not change» since 2011. They believe that the UN is not the place for the recognition of a Palestinian state, which, according to them, should be the result of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

The closed-door meetings of the Council’s “reception committee” failed to reach consensus, even if “two thirds» Member states have pushed to join, says Maltese Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, who chairs the Council in April.