Palestinian statehood application unlikely to pass without UNSC recommendation

Palestinian delegation still pushes the vote ahead

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An application for recognition of statehood by the Palestinian delegation at the United Nations didn’t receive a unanimous recommendation by the UN Security Council committee and is therefore unlikely to pass, according to reports on Wednesday.

The committee couldn't reach a unanimous opinion on whether the application met the required criteria, Reuters reported.

“Regarding the issue of whether the application met all the criteria for membership… the committee was unable to make a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council,” the report stated, adding that “differing views were expressed.”

The Palestinian delegation is still expected to pressure the UN Security Council (UNSC) to vote on the application on Thursday, diplomats told AFP.

UN envoy Riyad Mansour referred to citizens of a Palestinian state that would be treated as “equals to other nations and states.”

An application to receive full statehood must be approved by the UNSC and a two-thirds majority of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). While the UNGA granted the Palestinian Authority statehood in 2012, following a bid for recognition by PA President Mahmoud Abbas in 2011, the "State of Palestine" still holds the status of a non-member observer state.

The Biden administration said it would block the latest Palestinian effort to be recognized as a full member state, adding that be achieved in direct negotiations with Israel, rather than through a UN vote.

Despite reports that U.S. officials were working on a “comprehensive plan for long-term peace… including a firm timeline for the establishment of a Palestinian state,” the U.S. is expected to use its veto in the UNSC.

Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan blasted the UNSC for even considering the request.

“The UN, the organization founded to prevent Nazi ideology from spreading, has committed itself to reinforcing modern-day Nazi Jihadists. And today, breaking the Guinness World Record for rewarding terror, the UN now, in complete violation of its charter, is considering to force the establishment of a Palestinian terror state,” Erdan said.

The Israeli government and Knesset rejected unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state by other nations with large majorities following the reports.