(NationalUSNews.com) — The United States has vetoed a new United Nations resolution that would’ve established Palestine as an internationally recognized state despite most of the United Nations Security Council members supporting the measure.
Algeria submitted the measure for approval and received 12 out of 15 votes supporting the concept of an official Palestinian government. Switzerland and the United Kingdom abstained from the resolution, and the United States outright vetoed the proposed measure. The United States veto sparked an immense backlash from people who sympathize with Palestinians, including Palestinian Authority Ambassador Riyad Mansour.
Mansour addressed the failed measure during a speech following the unsuccessful vote and said that other countries shouldn’t contest Palestine’s existence. According to Mansour, Palestine has a legal right to form its own government and should be recognized by other nations as independent. Mansour ended his remarks by claiming that Palestinians wouldn’t give up on becoming a sovereign nation, citing the state’s long-contested existence and historical significance.
Palestine first attempted to become an official nation over a decade ago when it submitted a similar resolution in 2011. The 2011 resolution failed to gain traction within the United Nations and lost support shortly after its introduction. Despite the failed attempt at establishing a new government, Palestine did achieve the status of an observer, which grants Palestine the ability to participate in the United Nations in a limited capacity. Palestine tried to become a nation again after the war between Israel and Hamas started in October 2023, citing the war’s casualties as proof that Palestinians need a government to protect their interests.
Although President Biden and his administration have expressed support for Palestine establishing an official government, the United States vetoed the recent United Nations resolution due to concerns about Hamas. According to Robert Wood, a United States deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Palestinians should negotiate with Israel and find a compromise to establish a Palestine government. Wood also claimed that the United States wouldn’t support any measure to create a Palestinian state unless it featured provisions that would prevent Hamas from remaining in Gaza, which remains a crucial region for the proposed Palestinian state.
Israeli officials oppose the concept of a Palestinian government, with Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Israel Katz, claiming that such a measure would reward Hamas by granting them international recognition. According to Katz, Israel will not support the establishment of Palestine due to Hamas’ control over Gaza and its neighboring regions, and such a resolution would indirectly support terrorist organizations like Hamas.
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