UN Security Council Rekindles Palestinian Statehood Ambitions; U.S. Says Not Yet
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – On Monday, the U.N. Security Council revived the Palestinian Authority’s aspirations for full United Nations membership. However, the United States stated that the current state of relations between Israel and the Palestinians is not ready for such a move, effectively dampening the Palestinian Authority’s immediate prospects for U.N. membership.
Nevertheless, the United Nations Security Council president has referred the Palestinian Authority’s statehood application for full UN membership to its membership committee.
Vanessa Frazier, Malta’s UN ambassador and the current chair, announced that the 15-member committee is anticipated to decide on Palestine’s status this month. She also suggested that the committee convene on Monday to review the application.
However, the U.S., wielding veto power as one of the UN Security Council’s five permanent members, underscored on Monday that the Palestinian Authority needs to consolidate control over all Palestinian territories and enter into statehood negotiations with Israel before it can attain full statehood status, as stated by its U.N. delegation.
“The issue of full Palestinian membership is a decision that should be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians,” stated U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood on Monday.
Israel’s U.N. ambassador, Gilad Erdan, ruled out the prospect of Palestinian statehood, framing it as a threat to Israel’s existence. “From well before the establishment of the U.N., the Palestinians’ goal has been clear: the annihilation of the Jews,” Erdan told reporters. He highlighted the continuity of hostile ideology, noting, “The U.N. was founded in the wake of World War II and ‘the same genocidal ideology that this body was founded to combat is still prevalent among the Palestinians,'” he emphasized.
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