The United States has expressed its opposition to Palestine’s bid for full membership in the United Nations during an upcoming vote in the UN Security Council. Instead, the US has emphasized that direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are the best way to establish a state for the Palestinian people.
Deputy spokesman for the US Department of State, Vedant Patel, stated that premature actions, even with good intentions, will not succeed in establishing a state for the Palestinian people. According to Patel, the quickest path to creating a state for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with support from the US and other partners who share this goal.
The US has urged the Palestinian Authority to take necessary steps to prepare for statehood, including incorporating Gaza as an integral part of any proposed state. Patel noted that there is not agreement among members of Admission Commission regarding Palestine’s admission into the UN. He emphasized that there are questions about whether Palestine meets the criteria to be considered a state. The resolution needs at least nine votes from Council’s 15 members without any permanent member voting against it.
If approved by two-thirds majority in General Assembly after passing through Security Council vote, Palestine would become a full member of UN. However, this process was stalled since 2011 when Palestinian representative requested review of their non-member observer status.
