Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, has expressed sadness over Security Council Members voting in favour of granting Palestine UN membership, saying the vote will make peace almost impossible.

In a vote of 12 in favour, one against, and two abstentions, the council did not adopt a draft resolution that would have recommended the General Assembly hold a vote with the broader UN membership to allow Palestine to join as a full UN member state.

The draft resolution is among the shortest in the council’s history.

“The Security Council, having examined the application of the State of Palestine for admission to the United Nations (S/2011/592), recommends to the General Assembly that the State of Palestine be admitted to membership in the United Nations,” the resolution said.

For a draft resolution to pass, the council must have at least nine members in favour and none of its permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—using their veto power.

Mr Erdan said the Palestine Authority is a terror-supporting entity, “paying terrorists to slaughter us,” and Palestinians do not even recognise Israel as a Jewish State.

He said Hamas was not mentioned because the Palestinian representative 

“does not represent at least half” the Palestinian population.

“Regardless of the Palestinians’ failure to meet the necessary criteria for UN membership, most of you sadly decided to reward Palestinian terror with a Palestinian State,” he said. “It’s very sad because your vote will only embolden Palestinian rejectionism even more and make peace almost impossible.”

Riyad Mansour, permanent observer of the State of Palestine, said his people’s right to self-determination “has never once been subject to bargaining or negotiation.”

He said, “It is a natural, historic and legal right to live in our homeland, Palestine, as an independent State that is free and sovereign. We came to the Security Council today as an important historic moment, regionally and internationally, so that we could salvage what can be saved.

“We place you before a historic responsibility to establish the foundations of a just and comprehensive peace in our region.”

Mr Mansour stressed that council members were given the opportunity “to revive the hope that has been lost among our people” and to translate their commitment to a two-state solution into firm action.

He pointed out that “cannot be manoeuvred or retracted,” and the majority of council members “have risen to the level of this historic moment, and they have stood on the side of justice and freedom and hope, in line with the ethical and humanitarian and legal principles that must govern our world and in line with simple logic.”

Mr Mansour appreciated the countries supporting Palestine’s request for UN membership and those who voted in favour of the draft resolution.

“The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will, and it will not defeat our determination,” he said. “We will not stop in our effort. The State of Palestine is inevitable. It is real. Perhaps they see it as far away, but we see it as near, and we are the faithful.”

(NAN)