UN recognizes state of Palestine
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United Nations voted overwhelmingly Thursday to recognize a Palestinian state, a long-sought victory for the Palestinians but an embarrassing diplomatic defeat for the United States.
The resolution upgrading the Palestinians' status to a nonmember observer state at the United Nations was approved by a more than two-thirds majority of the 193-member world body - a vote of 138-9, with 41 abstentions.
A Palestinian flag was quickly unfurled on the floor of the General Assembly, behind the Palestinian delegation. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, hundreds crowded into the main square waved Palestinian flags and chanted "God is great." Others who had crowded around outdoor screens and television sets to watch the vote hugged, honked and set off fireworks before dancing in the streets.
Real independence, however, remains an elusive dream until the Palestinians negotiate a peace deal with the Israelis, who warned that the General Assembly action will only delay a lasting solution. Israel still controls the West Bank, east Jerusalem and access to Gaza, and it accused the Palestinians of bypassing negotiations with the campaign to upgrade their U.N. status.
The United States immediately criticized the historic vote. "Today's unfortunate and counterproductive resolution places further obstacles in the path peace," U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice said. And U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the vote "unfortunate" and "counterproductive."
The United States and Israel voted against recognition, joined by Canada, the Czech Republic, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Panama.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the speech by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the General Assembly shortly before the vote "defamatory and venomous," saying it was "full of mendacious propaganda" against Israel. He called the vote meaningless.
Abbas had told the General Assembly that it was "being asked today to issue the birth certificate of Palestine." Abbas said the vote is the last chance to save the two-state solution.
After the vote, Netanyahu said the UN move violated past agreements between Israel and the Palestinians and that Israel would act accordingly, without elaborating what steps it might take.
Just before the vote, Israel's U.N. ambassador, Ron Prosor, warned the General Assembly that "the Palestinians are turning their backs on peace" and that the U.N. can't break the 4,000-year-old bond between the people of Israel and the land of Israel.
The vote had been certain to succeed, with most of the member states sympathetic to the Palestinians. Several key countries, including France, this week announced they would support the move to elevate the Palestinians from the status of U.N. observer to nonmember observer state.
Thursday's vote came on the same day, Nov. 29, that the U.N. General Assembly in 1947 voted to recognize a state in Palestine, with the jubilant revelers then Jews. The Palestinians rejected that partition plan, and decades of tension and violence have followed.
The vote grants Abbas an overwhelming international endorsement for his key position: establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, the territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. With Netanyahu opposed to a pullback to the 1967 lines, this should strengthen Abbas' hand if peace talks resume.
The overwhelming vote also could help Abbas restore some of his standing, which has been eroded by years of standstill in peace efforts. His rival, Hamas, deeply entrenched in Gaza, has seen its popularity rise after an Israeli offensive on targets linked to the Islamic militant group there earlier this month.
Israel has stepped back from initial threats of harsh retaliation for the Palestinians seeking U.N. recognition, but government officials warned that Israel would respond to any Palestinian attempts to use the upgraded status to confront Israel in international bodies.
The Palestinians now can gain access to U.N. agencies and international bodies, most significantly the International Criminal Court, which could become a springboard for going after Israel for alleged war crimes or its ongoing settlement building on war-won land.
However, in the run-up to the U.N. vote, Abbas signaled that he wants recognition to give him leverage in future talks with Israel, and not as a tool for confronting or delegitimizing Israel, as Israeli leaders have alleged.
The resolution upgrading the Palestinians' status to a nonmember observer state at the United Nations was approved by a more than two-thirds majority of the 193-member world body - a vote of 138-9, with 41 abstentions.
A Palestinian flag was quickly unfurled on the floor of the General Assembly, behind the Palestinian delegation. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, hundreds crowded into the main square waved Palestinian flags and chanted "God is great." Others who had crowded around outdoor screens and television sets to watch the vote hugged, honked and set off fireworks before dancing in the streets.
Real independence, however, remains an elusive dream until the Palestinians negotiate a peace deal with the Israelis, who warned that the General Assembly action will only delay a lasting solution. Israel still controls the West Bank, east Jerusalem and access to Gaza, and it accused the Palestinians of bypassing negotiations with the campaign to upgrade their U.N. status.
The United States immediately criticized the historic vote. "Today's unfortunate and counterproductive resolution places further obstacles in the path peace," U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice said. And U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the vote "unfortunate" and "counterproductive."
The United States and Israel voted against recognition, joined by Canada, the Czech Republic, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Panama.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the speech by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the General Assembly shortly before the vote "defamatory and venomous," saying it was "full of mendacious propaganda" against Israel. He called the vote meaningless.
Abbas had told the General Assembly that it was "being asked today to issue the birth certificate of Palestine." Abbas said the vote is the last chance to save the two-state solution.
After the vote, Netanyahu said the UN move violated past agreements between Israel and the Palestinians and that Israel would act accordingly, without elaborating what steps it might take.
Just before the vote, Israel's U.N. ambassador, Ron Prosor, warned the General Assembly that "the Palestinians are turning their backs on peace" and that the U.N. can't break the 4,000-year-old bond between the people of Israel and the land of Israel.
The vote had been certain to succeed, with most of the member states sympathetic to the Palestinians. Several key countries, including France, this week announced they would support the move to elevate the Palestinians from the status of U.N. observer to nonmember observer state.
Thursday's vote came on the same day, Nov. 29, that the U.N. General Assembly in 1947 voted to recognize a state in Palestine, with the jubilant revelers then Jews. The Palestinians rejected that partition plan, and decades of tension and violence have followed.
The vote grants Abbas an overwhelming international endorsement for his key position: establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, the territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. With Netanyahu opposed to a pullback to the 1967 lines, this should strengthen Abbas' hand if peace talks resume.
The overwhelming vote also could help Abbas restore some of his standing, which has been eroded by years of standstill in peace efforts. His rival, Hamas, deeply entrenched in Gaza, has seen its popularity rise after an Israeli offensive on targets linked to the Islamic militant group there earlier this month.
Israel has stepped back from initial threats of harsh retaliation for the Palestinians seeking U.N. recognition, but government officials warned that Israel would respond to any Palestinian attempts to use the upgraded status to confront Israel in international bodies.
The Palestinians now can gain access to U.N. agencies and international bodies, most significantly the International Criminal Court, which could become a springboard for going after Israel for alleged war crimes or its ongoing settlement building on war-won land.
However, in the run-up to the U.N. vote, Abbas signaled that he wants recognition to give him leverage in future talks with Israel, and not as a tool for confronting or delegitimizing Israel, as Israeli leaders have alleged.
Oh good. It would be an alternate universe we live in if the UN didn't recognize them. The UN represents mostly terrorist and dictator countries.
Libya, Angola, Mauritania, Qatar, Zimbabwe, China, Cuba, ** Egypt **
"UN recognizes state of Palestine" yeah, I recognise them too. Bunch of damn terrorists that started crap in the mid 60's, tried to change their tactics in (if I remember right)1991 by becoming politicaly acceptable. Problem is, they are still terrorists that will provoke a fight whenever they can; only difference is now instead of taking credit for their terrorist actions they try to project it on Israel or the US.
@iamtroglodite Who attacked who first  to start teh 67 war?
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And don't forget, the same country that started that war also attacke America during that war to try and drag us into the mix...which, I am sure you didn't even know.
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http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/margolis12.html
 @B Smizzle Egypt, Syria and Jordan publicly announced their intention to kill all the Jews and drive Israel into the Sea. They had mobilized their armies along the border and were preparing to invade. Israel beat them to the punch with a very effective defensive preemptive strike. Of course, you would have been much happier if Israel had waited for the invasion so that more Israelis would have been killed first but then again, you blame Israel for everything it does or doesn't do. And you think Iran is a peaceful paradise that we evil Americans are irrationally vilifying. Your comments repeatedly demonstrate that you have poor judgment and little understanding of history.
The world continues to place expectations on Israel that is not acceptable with any other country. My heart goes out to the Israelis who must be devastated by this. I don't see Israel ever agreeing to the 1967 borders as it gives up tremendous security to others who openly promote the destruction of the Jewish people. The U.N. has become a disappointment in their inconsistencies with people around the world. I recognize there are many with other opinions, which I respect; just expressing my own.
 @DeaconBugg Let's call a spade a spade. Many who support the "Israel must return to 1967 borders" position do so because they know it's militarily very weak - and they like that because ultimately, their motivated by good, old-fashioned anti-Jewish bigotry and want them to die.
Glad to see it.  Nothing more silly then pretending people don't exist. Israel need to accept the fact that the Palestinians exist like they do and it's wise to recognize Abbas at a time when a more extreme group is getting credit in Gaza
Just one more reason that the UN is worthless.  They cause more trouble than they do good.  The only recognition Palestine  deserves is to be blown off the map unless they stop protecting terrorists.
Its about time. The Palestinians deserve a state in the region and the Israelis should get back to the negotiation table and try to work out reasonable borders. If Isreal could do this, it might end a lot of tension and bloodshed in the region. I don't see why people can't coexist these days.Â
 @peckishpete  You do realize that Hamas (aka "Palestine") has refused to recognize Israel's right to exist and said they won't be satisfied until every Jewish person is killed or driven from the region, right? Tough to negotiate with that.
@badcat Hamas represents Gaza, not the West Bank, where Abbas is much more moderate in his position towards Israel.
 @peckishpete Only compared to Gaza. He is not moderate by any reasonable standard. Fatah still has terrorist wings (such as the al-Aksa Martyr's Brigades.)
F the UN. I don't recognize it.
@last boyscout Do you recognize the UN telling Iran they can't enrich uranium (even though as a signer of the NPT they have that right)? Something tells me that would be a big YEPPERS! Why the double standard?
 @last boyscout Yes LUB, we all you believe know that people that are treated as third class citizens by the world shouldn't have any rights.Â
If Iran has their way, Israel will be wiped off the map. If Israel has their way, Palestine will be wiped off the map. I say lets just sit back over here on the other side of the world and watch the show. Â #arabs
 @The Voice of Reason TheVoiceofReason wrote, "If Israel has their way, Palestine will be wiped off the map."
Since a state of Palestine isn't now and never has been on the map, how can it be wiped out?
The main thrust of your statement is also flatly false. If Israel wanted to "wipe out" those falsely known as "Palestinians", they have the military strength to do do so today (and have had such strength for decades.) If your statement were true, it would already have been done.
Your statement is a lie.
 @The Voice of Reason The only problem with your view is that the US is funding it all in one way or another.  We should stop funding it and then watch the show.
The better to declare war upon you my dear.
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There isnt any Palestinian state.
AntiSemitism is alive and well throughout the UN and much of the world. Nevermind the overwhelming contributions to humanity that have been made by Israel and Jewish scientists, they'd rather support Islamaniacs and terrorists. Disgusting.
 @badcatÂ
So, when the Haganah, the pre-cursor to the modern-day IDF, active for 28 straight years, was out shooting and kidnapping people, carrying out bombings,  assassinating high-ranking British officials, etc, in-order to establish Israel as a country, it was OK?
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Double-standards are really cute. Â ;)
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 @UnitedAndFree Ah, yes. Our favorite anti-Semitic troll has weighed in.
No, terrorism is not okay, regardless of the cause. But it seems you have confused the Hagannah with the Irgun. The Irgun was much closer to a terrorist group and the early Israeli government moved against it. The Irgun smuggled arms into the newly-declared Israel aboard a ship called the Altalena. The Israeli government evacuated the ship then blew it up with all of the Irgun-smuggled arms inside.
"voted against recognition, joined by... Panama." I wonder if Columbia pondered Panama's place in the UN during the vote.
Shouldn't this headline read.......the UN recognizes Hamas.
 @Rob C 503 If you get your news by staring at a potato then yes.Â
138-9....seems like the world has spoken....but of course because the US does not like it we will just ingnore it and move along! Â Funny too, they scream UN, UN, UN when it came it Iraq and now Iran....but when it is something we don't like.....forget the UN!
 @B Smizzle Yes, the same international community that has persecuted Jews for millennia votes against the Jewish state. Gee, what a surprise!
But I don't need to tell you that. I'm sure you'll be out celebrating with your white sheet wearing brethren!