U.S. Set to Derail Palestine’s UN Membership Bid

On the 17th (local time), Jiad Abu Amr, the special representative of the Palestinian President, gave a speech at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting held at the UN headquarters in New York.

It appears that Palestine’s admission to the UN will be canceled once again due to the obstruction of the United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Reuters reported on the 17th (local time), citing diplomatic sources, that the UNSC is scheduled to vote on Palestine’s full UN membership in two days, on the 19th.

According to Reuters, the UNSC will meet at 3 p.m. on the 19th to discuss a resolution recommending Palestine’s full UN membership to the UN General Assembly. Algeria, which represents the Arab League in the UNSC, drafted and submitted this resolution. Algeria is expected to request a vote on Palestine’s full membership at the UNSC meeting on the 18th.

For a resolution to pass the UNSC, it must gain the approval of at least 9 out of 15 member countries, and none of the five permanent members, including the U.S., China, Russia, the UK, and France, should veto it. If the resolution passes the UNSC, it moves to the UN General Assembly, where Palestine will achieve its long-held goal of full membership if it receives approval from two-thirds of all member countries.

However, the situation remains uncertain as the U.S., a permanent member of the UNSC, is expected to veto the resolution. The U.S., a long-time ally of Israel, had previously exercised its veto power when Palestine applied for full UN membership in 2011.

Reuters, quoting diplomatic sources, reported that although the issue of Palestine’s total membership is expected to gain the support of 13 out of the 15 UNSC member countries, the U.S. is likely to veto it.