U.S. Vetoes Palestinian Statehood Bid at UN Security Council

The United States has vetoed a Palestinian bid for full membership in the United Nations Security Council, despite overwhelming support from other member nations. The resolution, which was proposed by Algeria on behalf of Arab nations, received 12 votes in favor, with the U.S. being the sole vote against and Britain and Switzerland abstaining.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas criticized the U.S. veto, calling it "unfair, immoral, and unjustified." The Palestinian envoy to the UN, Riyad Mansour, asserted the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, but Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, said the "shameful proposal was rejected" and that "terrorism will not be rewarded."

The U.S. State Department spokesman said the U.S. view is that the path to Palestinian statehood is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The U.S. maintains that Palestinian statehood should be negotiated as part of a peace treaty with Israel, rather than granted unilaterally.

Why this matters: The vote reflects the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, with the U.S. maintaining its position that a two-state solution can only be achieved through direct negotiations. The failure of the resolution also highlights the growing recognition of Palestinian statehood and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The U.S. veto effectively ends the latest debate on the issue at the U.N. Security Council, at least for now. The Palestinian leadership vowed to continue their efforts, stating that Palestinian statehood is inevitable. This was the second Palestinian attempt for full U.N. membership, with the first failing in 2011.

Key Takeaways

• U.S. vetoed Palestinian bid for full U.N. membership despite wide support.
• Palestinian Authority criticized U.S. veto as "unfair, immoral, and unjustified".
• U.S. maintains Palestinian statehood should be negotiated, not granted unilaterally.
• Vote reflects ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, highlights growing recognition of Palestinian statehood.
• U.S. veto effectively ends latest U.N. debate on Palestinian membership, for now.