9/18/2024–|Last update: 9/18/202412:24 AM (Makkah Time)
The UN General Assembly is expected to adopt a Palestinian-drafted resolution on Wednesday calling on Israel to end its “illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories” within 12 months.
The move would isolate Israel just days before world leaders converge on New York for the annual UN General Assembly.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to address the 193-member General Assembly on September 26, the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also scheduled to address the assembly.
The draft resolution aims to support the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice last July, which stated that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands and areas is illegal and that it must withdraw from them.
While the advisory opinion from the UN’s highest court said the withdrawal should happen “as soon as possible,” the draft resolution sets a 12-month timetable for implementation.
The draft resolution is the first officially submitted by the Palestinian Authority since it obtained additional rights and privileges this month, including a seat among the members of the United Nations in the General Assembly and the right to propose draft resolutions.
Washington opposes
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield urged member states to vote “no” on Wednesday. Washington, an ally of Israel, has long opposed what it calls unilateral actions that it says undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.
Although the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice is not binding, it carries weight under international law and may weaken support for Israel.
The same applies to the General Assembly resolution, which is not binding but carries political weight. There is no veto option in the UN General Assembly.
“Every nation has a voice, and the world is watching us,” Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour told the General Assembly on Tuesday. “Please stand on the right side of history, on international law, on freedom, on peace.”
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon criticized the UN General Assembly on Tuesday for what he said was its failure to condemn the attack launched by Hamas militants on Israel on October 7.
Danon rejected the Palestinian draft resolution, saying, “Let’s call this by its name. This resolution is diplomatic terrorism, as the tools of diplomacy are used not to build bridges, but to destroy them.”
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and has since been building and expanding settlements in the West Bank.
In July 2023, the Israeli government claimed that it had “the right to impose its sovereignty over the West Bank,” saying that “the Jewish people have the exclusive right to self-determination in these territories.”
International law prohibits Israel from annexing any parts of the West Bank, according to numerous UN statements in recent years.
On October 27, the General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza by a vote of 120. Then in December, 153 countries voted in favor of demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire rather than simply calling for one.
The draft resolution needs a two-thirds majority of those present and voting – excluding abstentions – to be adopted on Wednesday.
Mansour told reporters on Monday that he expected the draft resolution to be adopted, but it would likely receive less support than last year’s resolutions.
The Palestinian Authority represents the Palestinian people at the United Nations as a non-member observer, and the delegation is known as the State of Palestine.
