Palestinians Granted New Rights at UN General Assembly, Marking Historic Moment

On Tuesday, Palestinians took a significant step in their diplomatic presence at the United Nations, as the Palestinian Authority’s delegation was granted new rights within the General Assembly, despite not being a full member. This move follows a resolution passed in May by an overwhelming majority of the General Assembly, which recognized that Palestinians deserved full membership. However, full membership remains blocked by the United States, which along with Israel, maintains that recognition of Palestinian statehood must be achieved through a peace agreement.

Palestinians take new seat at UN General Assembly
AFP , Wednesday 11 Sep 2024https://t.co/MgzwkOmBJz

— dean32 (@dean32soul) September 11, 2024

The new rights granted to the Palestinian delegation allow them to submit proposals and amendments, and they now sit among member states at the General Assembly. Notably, this upgrade does not grant the Palestinians the ability to vote or become a member of the Security Council.

During the 79th General Assembly session, which began Tuesday, Palestinian Authority envoy Riyad Mansour took his place at a table marked “State of Palestine” between Sri Lanka and Sudan. The moment was hailed by Egyptian Ambassador Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud as a “historic” achievement for Palestinians.

Despite the recognition from many in the international community, Israel strongly condemned the move. Jonathan Miller, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, argued that such actions reward terrorism, specifically referring to Hamas and its ongoing conflict with Israel.

‘Historic moment’: Palestinians took a seat among member states at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, September 10, a new right accorded to the delegation despite not being a full member of the body. https://t.co/myjfpme4Q2 via @LeMonde_EN

— Shibley Telhami (@ShibleyTelhami) September 11, 2024

The Palestinians have held “non-member observer state” status at the UN since 2012. In April, following the outbreak of war in Gaza due to Hamas’s October 7 terror attacks, the Palestinians relaunched their bid for full membership. Achieving this would require not only a General Assembly vote but also a recommendation from the UN Security Council. The United States, a close ally of Israel, vetoed a Security Council recommendation in April, effectively blocking the bid for now.

Key Points:

i. Palestinians were granted new rights at the UN General Assembly, allowing them to submit proposals and sit among member states, despite not being a full member.

ii. The General Assembly passed a resolution in May supporting Palestinian full membership, but the United States and Israel have blocked it.

iii. The Palestinian delegation’s rights do not include the ability to vote or be part of the Security Council.

iv. Israel condemned the move, calling it a reward for terrorism, particularly in light of Hamas’s actions.

v. The Palestinians relaunched their bid for full membership in April, but the U.S. vetoed a Security Council recommendation, preventing their advancement.

Fallon Jacobson – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News