UN Security Council Committee Divided on Palestinian Authority’s U.N. Membership Bid
In a recent development at the United Nations, a Security Council committee tasked with evaluating the Palestinian Authority’s application for full U.N. membership reported a lack of consensus. The committee, after convening twice last week, stated in its report that it could not reach a unanimous recommendation on whether the Palestinian Authority met the necessary criteria for membership.
The Palestinian Authority, which has held the status of a non-member observer state since 2012, is still expected to urge the Security Council to vote on a draft resolution endorsing its full membership. The resolution, drafted by Security Council member Algeria, was circulated among members late Tuesday, with a potential vote looming as early as Thursday.
Full U.N. membership for the Palestinians would equate to an official recognition of Palestinian statehood. However, the path to such recognition is fraught with challenges. Approval from the Security Council is required before the application can move to the General Assembly, where it needs support from at least two-thirds of the member states. The United States, a staunch ally of Israel, has previously expressed its preference for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians over U.N. intervention.
The Security Council has historically supported the vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, coexisting peacefully within secure and recognized borders. Despite this long-standing endorsement, significant progress towards Palestinian statehood has been elusive since the Oslo Accords were signed in the early 1990s.
The push for full membership comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza and continued Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. The committee’s report highlighted differing views among its members, reflecting the complex geopolitical dynamics at play.
According to the founding U.N. Charter, membership is open to “peace-loving states” that are both willing and able to uphold the organization’s obligations. As the Security Council prepares for a possible vote, the international community watches closely to see if the Palestinian Authority will move a step closer to achieving its goal of statehood through full U.N. membership.
