São Paulo – Palestine gained on Wednesday (29) the status of United Nations “observer state” after promotion of a new vote at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the UN is headquartered. The change in status got 138 votes in favour, 41 abstentions and nine votes against.
Before being accepted as an observer state, Palestine had been granted “permanent observer” status by the UN, represented by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). Now, with the “non-member observer state” Palestine will have access to UN instruments and to the International Criminal Court (ICC), in the Hague, to file complaints regarding the conflict with Israel.
The ICC, however, only accepts complaints against people and crimes that were committed by a citizen of a country recognized by the ICC. Israel, the Unites States, China and Russia are not among the countries that ratified the Rome Treaty, which created the ICC. The country will also have access to UN organisations, as is the case with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), which recognized Palestine as a state in 2011.
In his address in favour of his state, the president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Mahmoud Abbas, stated that the change in status of Palestine in the UN may open a route to peace and said that the international community needs “courage” to take the correct decision. Regarding Israel, he said: “It is time to act, to forge ahead and that is why we are here. The world needs to tell Israel: that is enough aggression, settlement and occupation.”
To call for peace, Abbas also recalled the conflicts between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza Strip, interrupted by a cease-fire last week. “Palestine comes before the General Assembly today as it believes in peace and as its people, as it has shown in recent days, needs it desperately,” he said. After Abbas’ address, the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, said that peace in the region cannot be imposed “from without” in reference to the fact that it was not negotiated with the Israelis.
On arriving to the dinner to celebrate the 60 years of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce this evening (29) in São Paulo, the ambassador of Palestine to Brasília, Ibrahim Alzeben, said to ANBA that justice “is slow, but sure”. “This vote was the triumph of truth and justice to be celebrated by all nations that love peace, by all our Arab compatriots and friend in Brazil and worldwide,” said Alzeben.
The ambassador stated that the result obtained at the UN General Assembly was expected by the Palestinian people. They hoped to obtain around 140 votes in favour of the change to observer state, getting 138 votes. He also said that, now, Palestine is a state occupied by another state (Israel) that is a UN member. He also said that Palestine should seek participation in UN agencies and should call for implementation of Geneva Convention at the ICC for removal of the troops that are occupying the Palestinian territory. “We hope that the Palestinian state will soon be proclaimed in our land,” said Alzeben.
The United States, who are against the Palestinian change in status, said that recognition of Palestine should have been through negotiation and not at the UN General Assembly.
*Translated by Mark Ament
