UN General Assembly Backs Palestinian Membership

A majority of U.N. members voted to recognize Palestine as qualified for full membership — a largely symbolic step towards effectively recognizing Palestinian statehood.

The Details: The vote tally was 143 nations in favor and nine opposed, with 25 abstentions. Both the U.S. and Israel voted against the resolution, which recommended “that the Security Council reconsider the matter” of recognizing a State of Palestine “favourably.” The U.S. has previously vetoed Security Council resolutions seeking to formally admit the Palestinian Authority, which participates in the U.N. as a non-member observer state. Friday’s resolution also allowed P.A. representatives to sit in the General Assembly among other countries’ diplomats.

Key Quotes: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the resolution, saying, “Palestine will continue its endeavour to obtain full membership in the U.N.” However, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said the U.N. was welcoming a “terror state” and fed a copy of the U.N. charter through a paper shredder. Explaining the U.S. no-vote, an American diplomat wrote, “It remains the U.S. view that unilateral measures at the UN and on the ground will not advance” a two-state solution.

How the Media Covered It: Coverage was common in mainstream news outlets on Friday, with some right-rated outlets framing the vote negatively and highlighting the Israeli ambassador’s statements. However, most news coverage appeared fairly similar, framing the vote as symbolic.