Ottawa abstains from voting in favor of Palestinian membership in the UN | Middle East, the eternal conflict

The resolution, adopted by 143 countries against 9, grants new rights and privileges to Palestine and calls on the Security Council to favorably reconsider its request to become the 194^e member of the UN.

Twenty-five countries, including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy, abstained from voting on this resolution.

In the context of the war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, the Palestinians, who have a status non-member observer statehad relaunched at the beginning of April their 2011 request to become a full member state of the United Nations.

To succeed, such an initiative requires, before a vote by the General Assembly by a two-thirds majority, a positive recommendation from the Security Council. But the United States vetoed it on April 18.

So, the Palestinians decided to turn to the General Assembly, where they received a large majority.

The draft resolution presented by the United Arab Emirates notes that the State of Palestine meets the conditions required for membership of the UN, and should therefore be admitted to the Organization.

He asks the Security Council reconsiders the matter favorably. A more than improbable prospect given the position of Washington which opposes any recognition outside of a bilateral agreement between the Palestinians and their Israeli ally, whose government rejects the two-state solution.

To justify its abstention on Friday, Global Affairs Canada indicated in a press release that prospects for lasting peace are bleaker than everclaiming to work to counter the efforts to prevent the achievement of a two-state solution.

It is clear that we urgently need to chart a credible path to the two-state solution, one that gives hope to Palestinians and Israelis that they can live side by side in peace, security and dignityindicates the text again. the creation of a Palestinian state cannot be delayed indefinitely.

Canada is prepared to recognize the State of Palestine at the most opportune moment for lasting peace, but not necessarily as the last step on that path.

Canada traditionally sides with Israel in important votes at the UN, but the Liberals broke with that policy last December by supporting a non-binding resolution at the General Assembly that called for “a ceasefire.” -immediate humanitarian fire” between Israel and Hamas (new window).

Justin Trudeau’s government explained that it voted in favor of this motion because of the disastrous humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the need to focus on lasting peace which would ultimately allow the creation of a Palestinian state. .

Canada currently recognizes the Palestinian territories as separate entities from Israel, but not as a state in its own right.