US vetoes UN resolution to recognise Palestine as a 'state'

The United States on Thursday vetoed a widely supported United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution, which called for recognising Palestinian statehood and granting UN membership.

The resolution was supported by 12 out of 15 member states, with Britain and Switzerland choosing to abstain from voting. 

Deputy US Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood stated, "The United States continues to strongly support a two-state solution. This vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood, but instead is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the US veto which is “unfair, immoral, and unjustified, and defies the will of the international community, which strongly supports the State of Palestine obtaining full membership in the United Nations.”

"The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will and it will not defeat our determination. We will not stop in our effort," Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour spoke to the council after the vote.

Hamas denounced the US stance and urged the international community to recognise the rightful claim of Paletine’s self-determination.

Israel’s foreign minister lauded the US for its bid to block the resolution which he termed a “shameful proposal.”

In his address to the Security Council, he criticised the 12 member states who voted in favour of Palestinian membership, saying, “Your vote will only embolden Palestinian rejectionism even more and make peace almost impossible." 

After six months of Israel's ruthless onslaught in the Gaza Strip, Palestine made an effort to gain recognition as a member state of the UN, which was thwarted by the US.