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Palestine makes history by taking seat at 79th UN General Assembly session

Wednesday, 11 September 2024 6:34 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 11 September 2024 6:36 PM ]

Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, attends the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 10, 2024 at the United Nations. (Photo by AP)

Palestine has taken a seat at the UN General Assembly in a "historic moment" for the nation, despite strong opposition by Israel to Palestinian statehood.

Palestine was seated for the first time among UN member states on September 10 during the first session of the 79th General Assembly in New York.

Permanent Observer to Palestine at the UN, Riyad Mansour, was seated for the first time at a table labeled “State of Palestine” between Sri Lanka and Sudan.

The seating was approved by General Assembly President Philemon Yang.

The Palestinian Permanent Mission to the UN shared a clip on social media of the Ambassador of Egypt and the President of the General Assembly confirming the new seating arrangement for the State of Palestine delegation.

“This is not merely a procedural matter. This is a historic moment for us,” said Egyptian Ambassador to the UN Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud.

In May, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of reconsidering Palestine’s full membership. The resolution also granted Palestine with additional participation rights. It is now recognized by 145 of 193 UN member states.

UN General Assembly resolution urges fresh vote on Palestinian statehood

The UN General Assembly passes a resolution, urging the world body’s Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s request for full UN membership.

While Palestine is not a full member of the assembly, it is seeking full UN membership.

Full membership would not only need a vote by the General Assembly but would also require a Security Council recommendation. The United States vetoed a Security Council recommendation on the matter on April 18.

The resolution – back then put forth by Algeria – was widely supported, with 12 member states voting in favor of the resolution, including Japan, France, South Korea, Slovenia, Russia, and China. Switzerland and Britain abstained.

Several countries, including Spain, Norway, and Ireland, recognized Palestine as a state in late May amid mounting criticism of Israel’s genocidal campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip.

To be a full member, Palestine would need a vote by the General Assembly and require a Security Council recommendation.

The General Assembly is likely to vote on a Palestinian draft resolution next week demanding Israel end its "unlawful presence" in the Palestinian territory within six months.

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