How will Germany vote? What about Japan? Ynet maps out global interests ahead of Palestinian UN bid
On September 20th, the Palestinian Authority will submit its statehood bid at the United Nations General Assembly; the process will culminate with the UN’s 193 member states voting on recognizing a Palestinian state. What can we expect at the vote?
Officials in Jerusalem presume that should a vote indeed take place, the Palestinians will win an automatic majority thanks to the guaranteed support of the 116 “non aligned” states,” which tend to vote as a bloc and promote joint interests. Hence, Foreign Ministry officials are focusing their efforts at what they refer to as the “moral majority,” that is, large, influential states – this list includes the 27 members of the European Union, global powers, and several other key states.
The failure of such states to endorse a unilateral Palestinian move would make the UN decision illegitimate, Israeli officials believe. For the time being, mostly because the Palestinians have not yet publicized their draft bid, European states have largely refrained from openly voicing their positions. Officials in Brussels are aiming to create a united front of EU states that would abstain in the vote, yet at this time it appears that Europe’s votes will be split.
The general debate on the Palestinian bid will take place at the UN General Assembly between September 21st and the 30th
Categories: Israel, Middle East, North America, Palestine