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Subscribe to RSSPalestinians had a major symbolic victory when the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to recognize them, but the U.S. argued the new status could set back Palestinians in the path to peace. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution on Thursday giving implicit recognition to Palestinian statehood despite threats by the United States and Israel to punish the Palestinian Authority by withholding funds for the West Bank government.
The resolution, which lifts the Palestinian Authority's U.N. observer status from "entity" to "non-member state," like the Vatican possesses, easily passed the 193-nation General Assembly with 138 nations voting in favor, and nine opposed, including the United States. Forty-one countries abstained, including the United Kingdom.
Israel, the United States and the other members who opposed the resolution see it as a largely symbolic and counterproductive move by the Palestinians. The vote took place on the 65th anniversary of the assembly's adoption of resolution 181 on the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has led the campaign to win support for the resolution, which follows an eight-day conflict this month between Israel and Islamists in the Gaza Strip, who are pledged to Israel's destruction and oppose his efforts toward a negotiated peace.
The U.S. State Department made a last-ditch effort to get Abbas to reconsider, but the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, held firm.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking at the Brookings Institution on Thursday, said the U.S. believes the resolution will "do nothing to advance the peace and the two-state solution we all want to see."
She noted that while the U.S. planned to vote "no," she played down differences with key diplomatic partners in Europe, including France, which were expected to vote in favor of the resolution.
Reuters
A Palestinian man shouts slogans during a rally in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday. The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Thursday to upgrade the Palestinian Authority's observer status at the United Nations.
"We and our European partners agree on the most fundamental issues and share a common objective — two states living side-by-side living in peace and security," Clinton said.
Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said in a statement after the vote that "the only way to establish such a Palestinian state and resolve all permanent-status issues is through the crucial, if painful, work of direct negotiations between the parties."
"The United States therefore calls upon both the parties to resume direct talks without preconditions on all the issues that divide them," Rice said.
The U.K. had committed to voting for the resolution if Abbas had shown commitment to resuming peace negotiations without preconditions. Lacking that assurance, Britain abstained from the vote.
Following the vote at the UN General Assembly the Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "We continue to believe that the prospects for a swift return to negotiations on a two state solution — the only way to create a Palestinian state on the ground — would be greater today if President Abbas had been able to give the assurances we suggested, and without which we were unable to vote in favor of the resolution.
UN Palestinian statehood vote to be a personal political victory for Abbas
"In particular, we called on President Abbas to set out a willingness to return to negotiations without preconditions, and to signal that the Palestinians would not immediately seek action in the International Criminal Court, which would be likely to make a return to negotiations impossible.
"Nonetheless, we will redouble our efforts to restart the peace process, and will continue our strong support for President Abbas, the Palestinian Authority, and a two state solution," he said.
Despite its fierce opposition, Israel made efforts that appeared designed to prevent diplomatic isolation. In recent days, it toned down threats of retaliation in the face of wide international support for the initiative, notably among its European allies.
"The decision at the United Nations will change nothing on the ground," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Jerusalem. "It will not advance the establishment of a Palestinian state. It will delay it further."
But U.N. diplomats say that Israel's reaction might not be so measured if the Palestinians seek ICC action against Israel on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity or other crimes the court would have jurisdiction over.
U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice addresses the assembly following a vote on whether to recognize a single Palestinian state.
Granting Palestinians the title of "non-member observer state" falls short of full U.N. membership — something the Palestinians failed to achieve last year. But it does allow them access to the International Criminal Court and other international bodies, should they choose to join them.
Speaking at an annual U.N. event in support of the Palestinians, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki appealed to U.N. member states to support Thursday's U.N. resolution. He also repeated his support for peace with Israel.
"Despite diminishing hopes and the decline of the situation on the ground due to Israel violations, we remain committed to the two-state solution and our hand remains extended in peace," he said at U.N. headquarters in New York.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland reiterated U.S. warnings that the move could cause a reduction of U.S. economic support for the Palestinians. The Israelis have also warned they might take significant deductions out of monthly transfers of duties that Israel collects on the Palestinians' behalf.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as calling on Washington and Israel to avoid "any hasty and destructive decisions."
"Supporting the Palestinian authorities is not only in the interest of the Palestinian side, but also of Israel and the whole international community that is longing for a peaceful political settlement," he said.
The European Union, a key donor for the Palestinians, has made clear it will not curtail aid after Thursday's vote.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also called for a revival of the peace process: "Israelis and Palestinians must break out of a zero-sum mentality, and embrace a peaceful path forward."
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Flag-waving Palestinians thronged the squares of the West Bank and Gaza Strip before Thursday's vote. In a rare show of unity, Abbas's Islamist rivals Hamas, who have ruled Gaza since a brief civil war in 2007, let backers of the president's Fatah movement hold demonstrations there.
Peace talks have been stalled for two years, mainly over Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which have expanded despite being deemed illegal by most of the world. There are 4.3 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
In the draft resolution, the Palestinians have pledged to relaunch the peace process immediately following the U.N. vote.
With strong support from the developing world that makes up the majority of U.N. members, it is virtually assured of securing more than the requisite simple majority. Palestinian officials hope for more than 130 yes votes.
Abbas has focused on securing as many votes as possible from Europe, and his efforts appear to have paid off.
Going into the vote, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland had all pledged to support the resolution.
NBC News' Kari Huus and Reuters contributed to this report.
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And this vote on the Palestinian State leaves Taiwan where? Taiwan has been a fully functional and robust democracy for years now........and has been denied entry to the UN because of China 'thinking' or non thinking that Taiwan belongs to them. And the UN lacks the balls to challenge them on it..........go figure.
Which makes one wonder why the palestinians didn't make Gaza a "fully functional and robust democracy". Just one step towards that goal would have helped.
UN? SO? The UN stands for Useless Nations. A terrorist organization gets recognized, yet Tibet is ignored. Tibet is a different ethnic group than the Chinese, yet the UN does nothing to stop China.
Thank you.
The UN is @!$%#ing retarded
they should have a VOTE DOWN for your post.
General Assembly resolutions are not binding and under the UN charter simply express the "sentiment" of the General Assembly.
Israel was not created by UN resolution as is commonly misreported. Resolution 181 in 1948 was also a General Assembly resolution
Israel was created by the 1922 San Remo Conference Treaty created and ratified by the League Of Nations. It is the ONLY legal treaty/agreement establishing the nation of Israel. It is the same agreement that created Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon.
the British and French Mandates were created to oversee this transition from the Ottoman Empire.
The British Mandate split the territory into two sections. What is now Jordan received 77% of the land and Israel 23%.
Good statement of facts. For a good history of the US involvement in the Middle East from the colonial period to Iraq war, read "Power, Faith and Fantasy" - informative book.
State or no state, it doesn't matter. There is nothing that can be done to resolve ANY of either of their differences through peace and/or democracy of ANY kind. The only way this will ever end, and it won't be in my life cycle, is an ALL OUT regional/world war.
The only/best way OUT (scoff) of this mess is to simply DELAY the inevitable (WAR) to see what other world events will influence the region over the next decade or two, and see who the last man standing is...
Does anyone really believe that there is peace to be had? Really?
Why shouldn't they be granted this opportunity. Many have died on both sides just to be recognized as a people who have an interest of being part of the community of nations and if 139 nations agree with their position then so be it.
One reason comes to mind. Hamas
they should have a VOTE DOWN for your post.
It shouldn't take Israel more than 3 days to take it all back
Israel SHOULD ANIALTE Palastine ONCE and FOR ALL! END of PROBLEM!
...but with Obama in the White House,courtesy of the STUPID American electorate, Israel has real REASONS to BE WORRIED ...if NOT SCARED spitless! IT is Israel,by itself, against the Muslim World, while Obama blesses the Anti Christs(muslims).
Eric,
Educate yourself before making an ignorant comment. Muslims are not "Anti-Christs". Jesus is one of the most important figures in the muslim faith and is considered the Messiah.
Sure. Recognize a state full of terrorists as a country. Great idea. Bow to terror.
they should have a VOTE DOWN for your post.
Every reply you don't like--you repeat the same old line--your new name is REPEATER; evidently you have no level of comprehension whatsoever!
Israel missed their opportunity in the West Bank by refusing to prevent the settlers from taking Palestinian lands and homes illegally and dissing President Abbas. President Obama should have been more even handed with the Palestinians. For a good history of the US involvement in the Middle East from the colonial period to Iraq war, read "Power, Faith and Fantasy" - informative book.
This Israeli/American alliance is clearly out of touch with the global sentiments regarding this issue - All of this arrogant, bully-posturing by the USA and Israel is definitely counter-productive!!
"Give Peace a Chance!" is the global mantra - This vote by the UN is an excellent step in that direction!
There is no peace with islam and with the palestinians and you know it. Agressive third world gangsterism is all they produce and are. just because the world is descending into the same primitive mindset does not mean true first world democracies need to follow suit.
Carol, If you think Israel is a democracy then you need to go back to school. The US is a republic and not a true democracy.
Yeah this is what the UN does best....take money from various governments (taxpayers) and make lofty proclamations. Doesn't change anything.....they do it to give themselves the appearance of legitimacy and making progress. They're all just pigs, swilling at the public trough!
A Palestinian state? Don't count on it
By Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe, September 21, 2011
If the Palestinian Authority genuinely desired international recognition as a sovereign state, Mahmoud Abbas wouldn't have come to New York to seek membership in the UN General Assembly [last] week. There would have been no need to, for Palestine would have long since taken its seat in the United Nations.
Were Palestinian statehood Abbas's real goal, after all, he could have delivered it to his people three years ago. In 2008, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert proposed the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state on territory equal (after land swaps) to 100 percent of the West Bank and Gaza, with free passage between the two plus a capital in the Arab section of Jerusalem. Yet Abbas turned down the Israeli offer. And he has refused ever since even to engage in negotiations.
.........
At Camp David in 2000, Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered the Palestinians a sovereign state with shared control of Jerusalem and billions of dollars in compensation for Palestinian refugees. Yasser Arafat refused the offer, and returned to launch the deadly terror war known as the Second Intifada.
----
The raison d'être of the Palestinian movement has never been the establishment and building-up of a sovereign Palestinian homeland. It has always been the negation of a sovereign Jewish homeland. That is why well-intended proposals for a "two-state solution" have never come to fruition, no matter how earnestly proposed by US presidents or UN secretaries-general. That is why the basic charter not just of Hamas but even of Abbas's supposedly moderate Fatah vows to continue the "armed struggle" until "the Zionist state is demolished." And that is why Abbas and other Palestinian leaders insist that a Palestinian state would be explicitly Arab and Muslim, but adamantly refuse to acknowledge that Israel is legitimately the Jewish state.
Procustes, Israel would have kept all water rights in Palestine and would also have kept a military presence there. What kind of state would that be? The Palestinians have already recognized the state of Israel, but now the Israeli's want them to recognize them as a Jewish state. That would mean no right of return and the Israeli's would expel all Arabs in Israel. I would not agree to it either. Israel destroyed 20,000 homes this last time in Gaza. What type of human does things like this? Israel is not innocent.
only 9 countries out of about 190 voted against. Why do we continue after all thee years to be so adamant in opposing such a meaninful and fair resolution. Oh, silly me, it is because of the jewish lobby in this country that pulls all the strings on our foreogn policy. You don't see the U.S. bending over backwatd to support everything Italy or Poland does but there at least as many italians or polish people here as jews but yet we dance like a puppet at everything they tell us to do.
Fair? meaningful? How? have they earned statehood? NO. have they shown that they can function in a civilized manner? NO have they proven that they can change and grow responsibly? NO. How have they in any way shape or form earned the right to be sovereign. Tell me how???
Read "Power, Faith and Fantasy" for a good history of American involvement in the Middle East since the colonial period up to the Iraq War. The primary pushers for a Jewish state in Palestine were the evangelical Christians who envisioned the return of Christ and the Zionists responding to the Russian pogroms around WWI. Not all Jewish people supported the establishment of Israel.
The Jewish people need a secure homeland, but perpetual war will not get them there.
No but a perpetual defense is demanded of any liberty minded democracy. Duh.
The U.S. is on the wrong side of history on this one.
Send in the Panzers!
they should have a VOTE DOWN for your post.
Nato turning the tables on united states? I quess united states isnt gonna have any more military expeditions lol
Time to get out of the UN. Without our contributions it will fold. Time to do something useful with that building.
The UN is run by a cabal of Arab muslim and liberal atheist socialist countries so this is no surprise.
Hey Benni Netan-YAHOO,
It WILL make a diffrence on the ground. Look at the vote margin. Your list of
allies grows thin ;)
So??? That doesn't mean they are any less right or just in their existence and cause. Just because the world is choosing a third world mindset doesn't mean the only democracy in the middle east is any less viable and good. Peer pressure is a failed policy to dictate ones life by.
i really don't see why the united states keep's defending israel all the time. i don't recall hearing about them ever helping us with any troops or aid or anything else and i don't think they have any oil there. just give them texas.
Third-world gangsterism gets recognition! I noticed the first they want to do is haul Israel to world court for prosecution of war crimes. Uh-oh that one will bite them but good. there are endless cases against palestinian thuggery and mindless violence that will stretch any courts to their breaking point. Grow-up palestinians and act like responsible nation builders not destroyers. it never ends with these guys when it comes to malice, envy, violence and murder.
Sorry Carol but Israel is not a member of the world court. This means that once Palestine goes to the world court against Israel, Israeli's will not be allowed in any country that is a member or they will be arrested and I can't wait. The IDF only know's how to kill women and children.
Carol Israel is not a democracy it a theocracy. ( 120 member is the parliament? Nobody gets a majority? and have to make a coalition otherwise there is no government). Israel is a little State that depend of the US to exist. Without the cover of the US Israel would be nothing. That's a shame, since Israel is recognized by the vast majority of the International community but does does not behave such as a serious and respected Nation. They are ungrateful and a bully little State, trouble maker that we pay their bills. They exist because of the UN and now they are bashing the UN. That arrogant attitude does not surprise anybody. I bet if they stop occupying Palestinians territories and make piece with its neighbors the entire world would in its side. My question is how can anyone be proud to be from a country that does stand by itself? Will they depend of the US forever? By the way some of their former leaders can only travel to the US and Britain because if they travel to other countries they may be arrested accused of crimes against the humanity
I agree with the ideas here mentioned this may be the "start" of end times prophecy. Not this one event, but collectively with all other events taking place at the moment economically, socially/morally, and the rise of Israel's arch-enemies in the middle east and elsewhere. I know most people refute who Jesus was/is and the truth of the bible, but I encourage you to re-evaluate where you stand with God. I, and many other bible believers, think these events are very significant and what they imply.
They must create a state, and they must take Israel (or those responsibles) to the International Court for the attrocities IDF has done all these past decades to a lot of poor Palestinians. While the IDF has caught here and there some terrorists, most of their hits were against civilians.
On another note Israel has taken away from Palestine a lot of economical and financial flow coming from Europe to help those in need. That's outrageous.
Israelis are not hated because they are Jewish. They are hated because they have mistreated the Palestinians and have taken land using all kind of lies and subterfuges. I know many great people in Israel, and I also know how many of them leave Israel, because it became the state that it is right now: A FAILED STATE !!!!
typical jihadist or anti-semitic lies
General Assembly resolutions are not binding and under the UN charter simply express the "sentiment" of the General Assembly.
Israel was not created by UN resolution as is commonly misreported. Resolution 181 in 1948 was also a General Assembly resolution
Israel was created by the 1922 San Remo Conference Treaty created and ratified by the League Of Nations. It is the ONLY legal treaty/agreement establishing the nation of Israel. It is the same agreement that created Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon.
the British and French Mandates were created to oversee this transition from the Ottoman Empire.
The British Mandate split the territory into two sections. What is now Jordan received 77% of the land and Israel 23%.
Oh that one will backfire but good in light of the endless commitment to death and destruction by the palestinian gangs that rule the wasteland they have created.
palestine nothing more than a group of terrorists and thugs and then play like they are innocent and the victims but most of the world knows the truth for what they really stand for.
They seem to be doing pretty good to me.
I wonder there the bloggers are that repeatedly call Obama a Muslim/Muslim sympathizer...yet we voted no on the resolution.
Palestine has every right to be a state. I don't think it is anyone else's business what they do with their land. The UN should not dictate any of this...nor should we.
Uhm, they have had tons of chances to act like adults and get alongbut have refused and now this lowest form of existence is getting approval by the increasingly third world mindset nations that now cater to thuggery and violence as a means to an end. Palestine needs to earn her place not take it mindlessly and stupidly.
Wonderful! It's about time. Finally the tide turns. Humanity 1, Divisiveness 0.
Humanity? How? murder? death? destruction? have the Palestinians ever said they want peace??? NO do they want death and destruction? YES. your completely unrealistic perception and wishful thinking is actually dishonest and failed. World war here we come.
Carol is a paid Israeli troll. Israel spends 46 million a year to gain favor from the internet. STOP THESE TROLLS.