In an overwhelming vote in favor, by 143-9, with 25 abstentions, the UN General Assembly’s 10th Emergency Special Session passed a draft resolution today, that “the State of Palestine is qualified for membership in the United Nations” under its Charter rules. The Special Session recommends that the 15-member UN Security Council reconsider the matter “with a favorable outcome.” On April 18, the United States vetoed a UNSC resolution presented by Algeria on behalf of Palestine’s full UN membership, backed by 12 other member nations.
Today’s resolution was prepared by the United Arab Emirates, current chair of the UN Arab Group, and sponsored by 70 other countries, the New York Times reported this afternoon. In introducing the resolution, U.A.E. Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab said that the “vast majority of countries in this hall are fully aware of the legitimacy of the Palestinian bid and the justness of their cause, which faces fierce attempts to suppress it and render it meaningless today.”
