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by Nancy Okail

CIP Responds to UN General Assembly Vote Backing Palestinian Bid for Membership

In response to the UN General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution enhancing Palestine’s status in the United Nations and encouraging the Security Council to admit Palestine as a full UN Member State, Center for International Policy (CIP) president and CEO Nancy Okail issued the following statement:

“Today’s resolution is a welcome step. Further integrating Palestine into multilateral institutions and binding it to the privileges and obligations of statehood affirms international law and  Palestinians’ right to self-determination. It bolsters diplomacy in stark contrast to the horrific violence of the last seven months and the injustice of decades of occupation.

The United States has a moral duty and strategic interest in expanding opportunities for peaceful diplomatic engagement. Attempts to force the United States to cut off funding to the UN in response to this move are unjustified and counterproductive. 

We reject false assertions that passage of this resolution triggers outdated and injurious US laws defunding Palestinian relief and UN contributions if Palestine gains the same standing as full members of the UN. The measure adopted today expressly states that it does not confer such status upon Palestine and claims that it does serve to advance a longstanding rightwing effort to delegitimize Palestinian rights and the United Nations. 

It’s regrettable that the United States cannot support full Palestinian membership without jeopardizing US funding for the UN system, but it should still support the enhanced status this resolution confers on Palestine.”

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