UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations General Assembly could go for voting on a draft resolution on Friday that would recognize Palestinians as qualified to become a full member of the global body.
The process would act as an international survey of how much support the Palestinians have for their bid at the UN.
Earlier, the United Stated vetoed the Palestinian resolution in the UN Security Council last month. A request to become a full member of the UN needs to be approved by the 15-member Security Council and then the General Assembly.
According to diplomats, the 193-member General Assembly is likely to support the Palestinian bid.
But changes could still be made to the draft of the resolution after some diplomats raised concerns about the current text.
Some diplomats say the procedure could set a new precedent for other situations, citing Kosovo and Taiwan as examples.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan on Monday criticized the current draft General Assembly resolution, saying it would give the Palestinians the below-par status and rights of a state.
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He called upon the United States to completely stop funding the UN and its institutions.
, by American law,” said Erdan, adding that adoption by the General Assembly would not change anything on the ground.
Under US law, Washington cannot finance any UN organization that grants full membership to any group that is not recognized internationally.
The US stopped funding in 2011 for the UN Cultural Agency (UNESCO) after the Palestinians became a full member.
Nate Evans, spokesperson for the US mission to the UN said the path toward statehood for the Palestinian people is through direct talks.
