United Nations To Give Near Statehood Rights To Palestinians

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

NEW YORK/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is due to upgrade the Palestinian status at the U.N., granting it almost all statehood rights, Israeli sources and diplomats said Wednesday.

A draft resolution would recognize the Palestinians as qualified to become a full U.N. member and recommend that the decision-making U.N. Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably.”

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was expected to submit a resolution to the United Nations Security Council to grant Palestine full membership status in the U.N.

If confirmed, the move would lead to concerns in Israel that Palestine is getting closer to internationally recognized statehood, some seven months after Hamas massacred 1,200 people in Israel and took hundreds hostage.

Diplomats of the 193-member General Assembly were likely to back the Palestinian bid.

However, changes could still be made to the draft after some diplomats raised concerns about the current text that also grants additional rights and privileges – short of full membership – to the Palestinians, Worthy News learned.

PALESTINE ‘QUALIFIED’

The text, likely to have majority support, says that “Palestine is qualified for membership in the United Nations in accordance with article 4 of the Charter and should therefore be admitted to membership in the United Nations.”

The Palestinian Authority, through the UAE, turned to the General Assembly after the United States vetoed its membership application to the U.N. Security Council last month.

The U.S. is one of five permanent Council members with veto power.

The UAE resolution “recommends” that the Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably.”

UNGA resolutions, however, cannot be vetoed, and some 140 of its members already independently recognize Palestine as a state, observers said.

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