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Posted by admin on 2024-05-14 |

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India, on May 10, cast its vote in favor of a draft resolution presented at the U.N. General Assembly session. This resolution advocates for Palestine’s qualification and full membership in the United Nations. It also suggests that the Security Council should “favorably reconsider” this matter.

Strong Majority Backs Resolution

The 193-member General Assembly met in the morning for an emergency special session where the Arab Group resolution ‘Admission of new Members to the United Nations’, in support of the State of Palestine’s full membership in the UN, was presented by the UAE, as Chair of the Arab Group in May.

The resolution on Friday won a resounding majority of 143 votes in favour, including by India. 25 countries abstained, while nine nations, including Israel and the United States, voted against the text.

India, a long supporter of Palestine

India has a history of supporting Palestine. In 1974, it became the first non-Arab state to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Moreover, India was among the earliest nations to acknowledge the State of Palestine in 1988. In 1996, India opened its Representative Office to the Palestine Authority in Gaza, which later relocated to Ramallah in 2003.

What’s in the Resolution?

The resolution, put forward by the United Arab Emirates, grants new privileges to the Palestinian Authority in its current capacity as a non-member observer state, and calls for the UN Security Council – which must rule on Palestinian membership – to “reconsider the matter favourably.”

Prior to the vote, Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, where Palestinians face threats of attack. He emphasized the urgency of the situation.

“As we speak, 1.4 million Palestinians in Rafah wonder if they will survive today,” he told the assembly, referring to Israeli threats of a major attack on the densely populated city in southern Gaza, as reported by CNN.

Israel Criticizes Resolution

Israel foreign minister Israel Katz quickly condemned the resolution’s passage, describing it as an “absurd decision” that highlights “the structural bias of the UN” and rewards the actions of Hamas on October 7.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, expressed his protest by tearing a copy of the United Nations Charter during the General Assembly session.

“Today, you are also about to grant privileges and write to the future terror state of Hamas. You have opened up the United Nations for modern day Nazis, to the Hitler of our times...So here it is. I present to you the future outcome of today’s vote...the soon-to-be President, Yahya Sinwar, President tyrant of the State of Hamas, sponsored by the UN, and he owes his deepest gratitude to you, the General Assembly,” the Israeli envoy added while holding up an image of Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza.