Published 11/09/2024 16:51 | Edited 11/09/2024 17:45
The Palestinian delegation to the United Nations (UN) assumed this Tuesday (10), for the first time in seven decades, a seat among the member states in the General Assembly, exercising a new right granted in May, despite the persistent veto of the United States, in the Security Council, to its full membership.
Palestinian diplomats attended the opening of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York. The traditional speeches by international leaders — starting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — are due to begin on September 22.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, took his place at the table, in front of a sign reading “State of Palestine” between Sri Lanka and Sudan.
The advance emanated from “rights and privileges” extended to Palestine through a motion in the General Assembly approved in May, with 143 votes in favor, 25 abstentions and only 19 against — among them, the United States, Israel, Argentina and Hungary.
Palestine had previously held “non-member observer state” status, granted in 2012. The May resolution did not settle the matter, but recognized the country’s eligibility and its right to introduce resolutions and amendments.
Back in May, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz dismissed the decision as a “reward to Hamas terrorists.” [sic]”, accusing the UN of an alleged “structural bias” against the Israeli colonial state.
His remarks were echoed in August by Gilad Erdan, Israel’s former ambassador to the UN, who called for the institution to be “wiped off the face of the earth.”
On Tuesday, Israel repeated its allegations, through Jonathan Miller, the country’s deputy representative to the UN: “Any action that improves the status of Palestinians, whether in the General Assembly or bilaterally, is a reward for terrorism. [sic]”.
On April 18, the White House vetoed an Algerian Security Council resolution to recognize Palestine as a UN member state, after Ramallah revived its candidacy, registered in 2011.
Twelve of the 15 members voted in favor, including Algerian proponents Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Guyana, Ecuador, Malta, Slovenia, Japan and South Korea, as well as permanent members France, Russia and China. Switzerland and the United Kingdom abstained.
Washington’s veto continues to deprive Palestine of voting or membership in the Security Council, even though much of the discussion focuses on it.
On July 18, the Israeli parliament (Knesset) voted unilaterally to reject a Palestinian state, including as part of a peace agreement.
The measures contradict a global trend of recognition of Palestine in the face of the Israeli genocide in Gaza, notably Spain, Norway and Ireland, at the end of May, adding up to 145 of the 193 UN member states that support Palestinian national rights.
Katz recently threatened to “dissolve” the Palestinian Authority (PA) if it insists on diplomatic measures.
Soon after taking office, however, Palestine announced its maiden resolution to implement the July 19 ruling by the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) that instructed the dismantling of the illegal Israeli occupation.
The Palestinian resolution — the first of its kind in UN history — calls for a six-month deadline.
The draft provides that “Third States must adopt necessary measures to fulfill their obligation ergo omne not to recognize or assist violations of international law by Israel and to take appropriate measures to end them, starting with the cutting off of trade, research and military cooperation, and restricting other commercial relations, and imposing legal and targeted sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for maintaining Israel’s illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories.”.
The motion further calls for the establishment of a permanent reparations mechanism and a General Assembly committee “to inquire into and report the ICJ’s finding that Israel is guilty of violating the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s article on apartheid [CERD]”.
After the session, Egyptian Ambassador Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud told reporters: “This is not just a matter of procedure — this is a historic moment for all of us.”.
Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador, celebrated: “This is a very important thing — it brings us closer and closer to our legal and natural right to become full members of the United Nations.”.
Source: Middle East Monitor
Source: vermelho.org.br
