The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution endorsing the so-called “New York Declaration,” which calls for the recognition of the Palestine state and the promotion of the two-state solution as a means of achieving a just and lasting peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue.
UN resolution on Palestine
The resolution, submitted by France and Saudi Arabia, is entitled:
New York Declaration on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution.
It was supported by 142 countries, opposed by 10, and 12 abstained, according to an official statement released by the United Nations.
The declaration calls for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip and for a just and comprehensive settlement based on the effective implementation of the two-state solution, ensuring a better future for Palestinians, Israelis, and the peoples of the region. It also stressed the rejection of any territorial or demographic changes imposed by force, foremost among which is the forced displacement of Palestinians, considering it a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.
The declaration renewed its condemnation of all attacks against civilians, including indiscriminate attacks and acts of terrorism, as well as provocations, incitement, and destruction of property.
In response, the Israeli government rejected the resolution and described the UN vote as a “political circus divorced from reality,” continuing its hardline stance rejecting any commitment to a two-state solution.
Although previous Israeli governments dealt with the idea of a Palestinian state selectively without publicly declaring their rejection, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gradually moved toward outright rejection, after hinting in 2009 at conditional acceptance of a demilitarized Palestinian state. His current government, considered the most extreme in Israel’s history, has repeatedly declared its definitive rejection of this solution, ignoring the growing international consensus on it.
Welcomed by many
On Friday, Arab and Islamic countries and organizations welcomed the UN General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution supporting the “New York Declaration” on the recognition of the Palestinian state, considering it new support for Palestinian rights and a step toward implementing the two-state solution.
International and human rights organizations warn that Israel’s continued extermination in Gaza, coupled with its policy of settlement expansion in the West Bank, undermines any real possibility of implementing the two-state solution.
This comes amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza since 7 October 2023, which, according to official Palestinian data, has resulted in 64,756 martyrs and 164,059 wounded, most of them women and children, in addition to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons. while starvation has claimed the lives of 413 Palestinians, including 143 children, as of last Friday.
Featured image via the Canary
By Alaa Shamali
This post was originally published on Canary.