It was a huge step by the UN General Assembly to back Palestinian UN membership and show Israel’s isolation in the world due to Gaza operations. The resolution which advocated for membership of Palestine as an independent member state of the UN was passed with 143 nations in support and only 9 nations against and 25 countries abstained from casting their vote.

This does not necessarily imply that Palestine has now attained the entire membership nor does it refute the fact that Palestine qualifies for becoming a full member but is instead in a position to provide Palestine with further privileges in the General Assembly as well as displaying that Palestine has already obtained the admission criteria to be a full member of the United Nations. Be that as it may, it still seems unrealistic to strive for getting the total membership of the UN as it requires the recommendation of the Security Council. 

The United States is a permanent member and has always been whipped out by Israelis from the international community which has hindered Palestine from gaining a full membership.

But the fact that this resolution was passed unanimously or nearly so is still a testament to the fact that most of the countries in the world today want to see a Palestinian state created and want to see Palestinians gain the right to self-determination that they have been denied for so long. This vote tells it all that the world is standing behind Palestine to be recognised and given its independence.

143 Countries Who Voted in the Favor of Palestine:

Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, North Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, South Korea, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

9 Countries Who Voted Against Palestine:

Argentina, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, United States.

25 Countries Who Abstained from Voting:

Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Fiji, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Moldova, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vanuatu.

That is an outright demonstrative action by the world to support Palestinian rights and to intensify the pressure on the Israeli state concerning Gaza. While Palestine still has a long way in achieving full membership of the UN because of political blockages from countries like the US, the support from the GA is a clear sign that the entire world organisation is now more determined in its efforts of bringing to an end the injustices associated with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The resolution also portrays the new global public opinion as more sympathetic towards the Palestinian side. This change is also depicted by some of the events that are organised in various parts of the world and which entailed the support of the Palestinian state and the calls for condemning Israel’s military operation initiated in Gaza.

This is notwithstanding the fact that the resolution demands the Security Council to act, hence creating a lot of pressure on the international community depending on the reaction of the Council. But Palestine has gotten a better position at the General Assembly that allows the states more participation in UN activities, which is crucial for the diplomatic activity of the states and even more presence of Palestine in the international community.

This decisive vote is a step towards acknowledging Palestinian aspirations and underscores the global demand for a fair and reliable solution to the conflict.