UN Votes to Recognize Palestine

[Frodo]

UN vote recognizes state of Palestine; US objects



By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS —
The United Nations voted overwhelmingly Thursday to recognize a Palestinian state, a long-sought victory for the Palestinians and an embarrassing diplomatic defeat for the United States.

The resolution upgrading the Palestinians' status to a nonmember observer state at the U.N. was approved by a vote of 138-9, with 41 abstentions, in the 193-member world body.

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 watched the vote on outdoor screens and television sets 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.

[Donerail]

Good.

[SPC]

What's the Czech Republic's beef against Palestine?

[Tender Branson]

Roll Call:

Vote on Status of Palestine at United Nations

The draft resolution on the Status of Palestine at the United Nations (document A/67/L.28) was adopted by a recorded vote of 138 in favour to 9 against, with 41 abstentions, as follows:

In favour:  Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against:  Canada, Czech Republic, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Palau, Panama, United States.

Abstain:  Albania, Andorra, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Colombia, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Estonia, Fiji, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malawi, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Poland, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tonga, United Kingdom, Vanuatu.

Absent:  Equatorial Guinea, Kiribati, Liberia, Madagascar, Ukraine.

[Zioneer]

Huzzah! Took them long enough!

[dead0man]

Congrats?

[morgieb]

Still think it's symbolic. Although it change did happen then it's about time.

Also, disappointed Australia voted to abstain.

[Dereich]

Hooray, Palestine was moved from a non-member observer entity to a non-member observer state. They must be so proud. This only really changes things if they go to the ICC which would be a risky decision in itself, far from certain to go their way. The best thing that could happen with this is it strengthens Abbas, who really needs it right now.

Also, I'm hearing that the 41 abstentions is a big US diplomatic win. A lot of those abstentions (I remember Croatia specifically mentioned, can't remember the others right now) were expected to vote yes.

[politicus]

What's the Czech Republic's beef against Palestine?

Conservative, pro-American government. Same as Canada.

[GMantis]

I find it funny how so many countries in Eastern Europe who all recognize Palestine and have diplomatic relations with it have abstained or in the case of the Czech Republic, voted against

Also, I'm hearing that the 41 abstentions is a big US diplomatic win. A lot of those abstentions (I remember Croatia specifically mentioned, can't remember the others right now) were expected to vote yes.

Not really. This in fact a worse result than the UNESCO vote last year. And no, Croatia is probably among the last countries in Eastern Europe that would vote yes.

[Silent Hunter]

The Israelis have announced more settlement activity.

Who here is familiar with the chess term "zugzwang"?

[k-onmmunist]

i hope this will bring about a new palestinian commitment to peace. could do without netanyahu giving the world reason to dislike israel.

[The Mikado]

So Palestine now has the same diplomatic status as...the Knights Hospitaller?  (Yes, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a permanent observer at the UN).

[k-onmmunist]

So Palestine now has the same diplomatic status as...the Knights Hospitaller?  (Yes, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a permanent observer at the UN).

the un is kinda bizarre when it comes to membership - byelorussian and ukrainian ssr's were represented but not the rest of the republics.

[GMantis]

So Palestine now has the same diplomatic status as...the Knights Hospitaller?  (Yes, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a permanent observer at the UN).

the un is kinda bizarre when it comes to membership - byelorussian and ukrainian ssr's were represented but not the rest of the republics.

Stalin did want all republics to be UN members, but the US government threatened that in such case, all US states, Canadian provinces, etc also had to become UN members, so he backed down.

[justfollowingtheelections]

The map:


Red: No
Green: Yes
Yellow: Abstentions

[politicus]

The map:


Red: No
Green: Yes
Yellow: Abstentions

Wrong map? Lots of errors on it.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Judging by the URL, the map is the vote for admitting Palestine to UNESCO.

[Insula Dei]

lolcanada

[Tender Branson]

Here's the real map:

[Hash]

lolcanada

It's great to know that Dear Leader is still hard at work at destroying our formerly very good reputation around the world. Hardly surprising, of course, his foreign policy is basically selling his province's oil.

[Vosem]

Unfortunate, but thankfully it changes basically literally nothing. Kudos to the countries that voted no, of course.

Out of curiosity, what's so special about Ukraine/Madagascar?

[Supermariobros]

good news

[ag]

The Israelis have announced more settlement activity.

Who here is familiar with the chess term "zugzwang"?

The Israeli government seems to be really hell bent on making sure that a democratic Jewish state anywhere between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean becomes even theoretically impossible.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The Israelis have announced more settlement activity.

Who here is familiar with the chess term "zugzwang"?

The Israeli government seems to be really hell bent on making sure that a democratic Jewish state anywhere consists of al land between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean becomes even theoretically impossible.

Fixed.  After all, the original two state solution for Palestine was Cisjordan for the Jews and Transjordan for the Arabs.