The United States has exercised its veto power against a Palestinian proposal for full membership in the United Nations, effectively halting the global organization’s acknowledgment of a Palestinian state.
During the vote within the 15-member UN Security Council, 12 members supported the initiative, while the US stood against, and the UK and Switzerland chose to abstain.
US diplomats had initially hoped to avoid using the veto by persuading other members to object to the draft resolution that suggested the “State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations.”
Leading up to the decision, it was reported that the US mission had been lobbying one or two council members to abstain to diminish the appearance of US isolation on the matter. However, US officials eventually acknowledged the inevitability of employing the US veto again in favor of Israel.
The official stance of Washington asserts that the creation of a Palestinian state should result from comprehensive negotiations addressing all aspects of a Middle East peace agreement.
