UN General Assembly set to vote on Palestinian statehood, prompting concerns over US funding

Scheduled for Friday, the vote revolves around a draft resolution recommending Palestinian eligibility for full UN membership and urging the Security Council to reassess the matter positively.

The impending vote serves as a global gauge of Palestinian support, following the recent US veto of their Security Council bid. Approval hinges on Security Council and General Assembly endorsement.

Although diplomatic sources anticipate General Assembly approval, revisions to the draft are possible amid concerns over its language, including provisions for enhanced Palestinian rights short of full membership. Concerns over precedent have been raised, pointing to potential ramifications for other regions such as Kosovo and Taiwan.

Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan has vehemently criticized the current draft, asserting it would confer de facto state status and rights upon Palestinians, contravening the UN Charter’s principles. Erdan warns of US funding repercussions, citing American legislation prohibiting support to UN bodies granting full membership to entities lacking internationally recognized statehood attributes.

Nate Evans, spokesperson for the US mission to the UN, reaffirms the US stance that Palestinian statehood should be pursued through direct negotiations. He underscores reservations about extending benefits to entities with unresolved statehood criteria.

The Palestinian Authority, presently a non-member observer state since 2012, seeks full UN membership amid ongoing Israeli-Palestinian tensions, underscored by recent conflict in Gaza and expanding West Bank settlements deemed illegal by the UN.

The UN’s longstanding endorsement of a two-state solution aligns with Palestinian aspirations for statehood in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, territories occupied by Israel since 1967.