Israel’s delegate to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on the United States today to cease funding the international organization and its institutions if a resolution granting Palestine full membership is passed.
According to the “Times of Israel,” Erdan stated, “A resolution in the United Nations General Assembly recognizing Palestine as eligible for full membership contradicts the organization’s charter.”
He added, “If the resolution is adopted, I expect the United States to completely halt funding for the United Nations and its institutions,” noting that “the General Assembly’s adoption of the resolution will not change anything on the ground.”
This comes ahead of an anticipated vote in the UN General Assembly next Friday on a resolution recognizing Palestine’s eligibility for full membership in the international organization, and recommending the Security Council “to reconsider the matter positively.”
The vote will serve as a global survey of the support Palestinians receive intheir endeavor, which the United States vetoed in the UN Security Council last month.
Obtaining full membership in the United Nations requires approval from the 15-member Security Council and then the General Assembly.
Diplomats suggest that the 193-member General Assembly is likely to support the Palestinian bid. However, changes could still be made to the draft after some diplomats raised concerns about the current text, which “Reuters” obtained, granting additional rights and privileges to Palestinians, in addition to full membership.
Under US law, Washington cannot fund any United Nations agency that grants full membership to any group that does not have “internationally recognized attributes” of statehood.
The United States halted its funding in 2011 to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after Palestinians became full members.
The spokesperson for the US mission to the United Nations, Ned Price, stated, “The US position remains that the path to establishing a state for the Palestinian people goes through direct negotiations.”
He added, “We are aware of the resolution and reiterate our concern about any effort to confer specific benefits on entities when there are questions about whether Palestinians currently meet the criteria set forth in the charter.”
