Israeli Ambassador Destroys U.N. Charter in Protest of Palestinian ‘State’ Approval in Unofficial Vote

The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution requesting the U.N. Security Council to reconsider granting full membership to the Palestinians, which would essentially recognize Palestinian statehood. The resolution, not binding, was supported by 143 nations, with nine against and 25 abstentions, including the United States and Israel. The resolution declares that Palestinians meet membership requirements and should be reconsidered favorably by the UNSC. Although the General Assembly cannot grant full membership on its own, it did provide some privileges to the Palestinians, such as a non-voting seat in the U.N. Assembly hall. The Security Council had previously considered Palestinian membership in April but was vetoed by the U.S. citing unresolved questions about statehood criteria. Israel’s ambassador criticized the vote as immoral and a violation of the U.N. Charter, while the Palestinian representative praised it as a denunciation of Israel’s actions in Gaza. If full Palestinian membership is brought to the UNSC, the U.S. reaffirmed its intention to veto the measure.