Palestine is currently a “permanent observer state” at the United Nations, attending meetings but not having voting rights.
The UN General Assembly could vote on Friday on a draft resolution that would recognize the Palestinian Authority (PA) as eligible to become a full member of the world body and recommend that the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter positively.”
Reuters wrote that the vote would show the extent of Palestinians’ global support for their proposal, which the US vetoed at the UN Security Council last month. An application for full membership in the United Nations must be approved by the 15-member Security Council and the General Assembly.
“We are aware of the resolution and reiterate our concerns about any efforts to extend certain benefits to organizations where there are unresolved questions about whether Palestinians currently meet the Charter’s criteria,” said Nate Evans, spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations , was quoted.
Under U.S. law, Washington cannot fund a U.N. organization that grants full membership to a group that does not have the “internationally recognized attributes” of statehood. In 2011, the US stopped funding the UN cultural agency (UNESCO) after the Palestinian Authority became a full member.
“It remains the U.S. view that the path to statehood for the Palestinian people lies through direct negotiations,” Evans added.
Diplomats told Reuters that the 193-member General Assembly was likely to support the Palestinian request, adding that changes could still be made to the draft.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan condemned the General Assembly’s current draft resolution, saying it would give Palestinians statehood and violate the founding charter of the United Nations.
“If approved, I expect that the United States will completely stop funding the United Nations and its institutions in accordance with American law,” Erdan said.
Led by the Palestinian Authority, the State of Palestine claims sovereignty over areas that were considered Palestinian before the outbreak of the Six-Day War in 1967. This includes Gaza, the entire West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the idea of Palestinian statehood and vowed to impose “full Israeli security control over the entire territory west of Jordan,” which includes all of these regions.
Parts of the West Bank are already fully under Israeli military and civilian control, while Gaza is ruled by Hamas, which considers the Palestinian Authority illegitimate to recognize and negotiate with Israel.