(CNN) Richard Roth - The UN General Assembly voted on Friday to grant new privileges to the Palestinian Authority in its current capacity as a non-member observer state. The vote was 143 in favor, 9 against, with 25 abstentions. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned the "absurd decision" that highlights "the structural bias of the UN." "The message that the UN is sending to our suffering region: violence pays off," he said. "The decision to upgrade the status of Palestinians in the UN is a prize for Hamas terrorists after they committed the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust." The General Assembly vote cannot confer UN membership, which is the prerogative of the Security Council. Only member states can vote, but the Palestinian Authority can now be seated among member states; submit and introduce proposals and amendments; and co-sponsor proposals and amendments. It can also request proposals to be put to a vote and request items to be put on the UNGA's provisional agenda. The U.S. vetoed a Palestinian membership request in April. U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood described the resolution as "unproductive," saying, "it remains the U.S. view that the most expeditious path toward statehood and UN membership for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority."
2024-05-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive