The UN General Assembly will vote on a resolution granting Palestine additional rights

The UN will vote on a resolution giving Palestine additional rights and reviving its bid to join the organization on Friday.

The General Assembly of the United Nations is preparing for a crucial vote on a resolution that may grant Palestine new “rights and privileges” and urge the Security Council to reevaluate its application to become the organization’s 194th member on Friday.

On April 18, the United States, a steadfast supporter of Israel, vetoed a council resolution that would have allowed Palestine to become a full member of the UN. On Thursday, the Biden administration’s opposition to the assembly resolution was reaffirmed by Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood.

Prospective members of the UN must be “peace-loving,” in accordance with the U.N. charter, and the Security Council must recommend their admission to the General Assembly for ultimate ratification. Palestine joined the UN as a non-member observer state in 2012.

“This effort by some of the Arab countries and the Palestinians is to try to go around that,” Wood stated. “We’ve been very clear from the beginning that there is a process for obtaining full membership in the United Nations.” We have always maintained that talks with Israel are the most effective means of guaranteeing Palestinian full membership in the U.N. That is still our stance.

However, Western officials with knowledge of the situation predict that the resolution will be accepted by a sizable majority in the General Assembly in the absence of vetoes.

The resolution under consideration declares that Palestine satisfies the requirements for membership and impels the Security Council to give its request a favorable review. This action is being taken in the midst of increased international focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially in light of the most recent war in Gaza that claimed hundreds of lives.

Significant changes were made to the resolution’s original draft in order to meet concerns raised by important parties like China, Russia, and the United States. The new version addresses concerns raised by China and Russia on possible precedents for other aspirant U.N. members by eliminating language that would have accorded Palestine equal status with member states.

“The state of Palestine, in its capacity as an observer state, does not have the right to vote in the General Assembly or to put forward its candidature to United Nations organs,” the draft inserts a clause in the annex about voting.

The final draft annex’s list of rights and privileges includes granting Palestine the freedom to speak on any topic, not just those pertaining to the Middle East and Palestinians; the ability to put forward and respond to agenda items during discussions; and the opportunity to run for office in the assembly’s major committees. The “right to vote,” which was included in the original proposal, is removed, although Palestinians would still be able to attend UN-convened international conferences.

When Mahmoud Abbas, the president of Palestine, first petitioned to join the United Nations in 2011, the Security Council vote lacked the required support. Nonetheless, Palestine managed to become a non-member observer state and gain entry to international institutions such as the International Criminal Court.

The vote in the Security Council on April 18 saw a significant increase in support for full U.N. membership for the Palestinians. With the United States voting no and vetoing the resolution, the vote was 12 in favor with the United Kingdom and Switzerland abstaining.