by The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly adopted a resolution to establish an independent Palestinian state. At the session held in New York last Friday (September 12), 142 countries voted in favor of the resolution, with only 10 countries voting against. In addition, 12 countries abstained from voting. The resolution was jointly proposed by France and Saudi Arabia.
The resolution, known as the ‘New York Declaration’, calls for the rapid implementation of a two-state solution. At the same time, it is stated that Hamas will have no involvement in a future Palestinian state. For this, Hamas has been called on to withdraw from control of Gaza and surrender its weapons.
The Arab League has supported the resolution. The declaration was first signed by 17 UN countries last July. The resolution states that it is necessary to end the fighting in Gaza and transfer full power to the Palestinian Authority in order to achieve sustainable peace.
Israel reacted sharply after the vote. Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein called it a “shameful and unrealistic political circus.” Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh welcomed the international community’s support, saying it was a global recognition of the Palestinians’ legitimate rights.
The resolution was adopted at a time when the Israeli military operation in Gaza has taken a horrific turn. According to local authorities, more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks there in the past 23 months. Israel has been waging a massive operation to take control of Gaza City in recent weeks, displacing millions of people.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing ahead with plans to build new illegal settlements in the West Bank. He recently signed an agreement under which 3,400 new homes will be built in the occupied territory. This will effectively divide the West Bank and complicate the path to a future Palestinian state.
Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said that there is no alternative to establishing peace except the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. He warned that Netanyahu’s move was pushing the entire region towards further instability. At the same time, he called on countries that have not yet recognized the Palestinian state to do so quickly.
