‘Misguided And Ill-Timed’: UN General Assembly Approves Palestinian Statehood Resolution

Latest Developments

Joint French-Saudi Resolution Approved: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) approved on September 12 a resolution proposed by France and Saudi Arabia supporting an “irreversible” path to Palestinian statehood. The “New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution” was approved by a majority of 142 countries, with 10 nations voting against — including Czechia, Hungary, Israel, the United States, and Argentina — while 12 others abstained. The resolution calls on Hamas to “end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State.”
U.S., Israel Condemn Vote as ‘Misguided’: The U.S. Mission to the United Nations Counselor Morgan Ortagus said that U.S. opposition to the resolution “should come as no surprise,” labeling the motion as a “misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt that undermines serious diplomatic efforts to end the conflict,” while calling the resolution “a gift to Hamas. “The United States will not participate in this insult to the victims of October 7, but we will continue to lead real-world efforts to end the fighting and to deliver a permanent peace,” Ortagus stated. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said that the “one-sided declaration will not be remembered as a step toward peace, only as another hollow gesture that weakens this Assembly’s credibility. This is not diplomacy. It is theater.”
Germany Backs Resolution: Germany, a key European supporter of Israel, reportedly decided late to vote in approval of the resolution. However, unlike France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Malta, Australia, and other Western democracies, Berlin has no plans to unilaterally recognize an independent Palestinian state. Additionally, Germany’s stance on the “right of return” for Palestinian refugees, which the resolution endorses, remains unchanged, asserting that such a “right” must be negotiated.

FDD Expert Response

“The United Nations has again put its thumb on the scale in favor of the Palestinians. The resolution on Israel calls for sidelining Hamas, but the United Nations has no leverage over the terrorist group. Meanwhile, the progress toward Palestinian statehood as a result of the war Hamas launched will only increase the Iranian proxy’s clout. And while the resolution calls for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, its endorsement of a supposed Palestinian right to overrun Israel through immigration and its bolstering of Palestinian maximalist demands will only make peace less achievable.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

“The Palestinians have long enjoyed an in-built majority in the UN General Assembly, so the passage of this resolution should come as no surprise. There is an element of the surreal here, in that the state being recognized exists only in the imaginations of those states voting in favor and not in any material sense. Other than unleashing another salvo of venom from the United Nations at the State of Israel, it is a resolution that will accomplish nothing.” — Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director