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The vote was taken at a meeting <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> body in New York, with 138<br />

countries voting in favour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> upgrade. Nine countries voted against it,<br />

and 41 o<strong>the</strong>rs abstained.<br />

Thousands <strong>of</strong> Palestinians ga<strong>the</strong>red across <strong>the</strong> West Bank and Gaza to<br />

demonstrate <strong>the</strong>ir support for <strong>the</strong> fresh attempt by President Mahmoud<br />

Abbas to secure <strong>the</strong> status.<br />

Palestinians were previously listed as a UN observer “entity” with no<br />

voting rights.<br />

The new status is an indirect recognition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Palestinians’ claims<br />

on statehood in <strong>the</strong> West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. It allows<br />

<strong>the</strong>m to join a number <strong>of</strong> UN agencies, as well as <strong>the</strong> International<br />

Criminal Court (ICC).<br />

Abbas addressed <strong>the</strong> General Assembly ahead <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> vote.<br />

Abbas referenced <strong>the</strong> recent Israeli assault on Gaza, saying that<br />

Palestine had come to <strong>the</strong> UN at time when <strong>the</strong>y were “still tending to<br />

[<strong>the</strong>ir] wounds and still burying [<strong>the</strong>ir] beloved martyrs <strong>of</strong> children,<br />

women and men who have fallen victim to <strong>the</strong> latest Israeli aggression”.<br />

“What permits <strong>the</strong> Israeli government to blatantly continue with its<br />

aggressive policies and <strong>the</strong> perpetration <strong>of</strong> war crimes stems from its<br />

conviction that it is above <strong>the</strong> law and that it has immunity from<br />

accountability and consequences [...] The moment has arrived for <strong>the</strong><br />

world to say clearly: Enough <strong>of</strong> aggression, settlements and occupation.”<br />

He said that <strong>the</strong> Palestinians were not seeking to “delegitimise”<br />

Israel, but to affirm <strong>the</strong> legitimacy <strong>of</strong> Palestine as a state. This recognition<br />

<strong>of</strong> an upgraded UN status was <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> “a final serious attempt to<br />

achieve peace”, he said, stressing that <strong>the</strong> Palestinian Liberation<br />

Organisation was seeking to “brea<strong>the</strong> new life” into negotiations.<br />

“The General Assembly is called upon today to issue a birth<br />

certificate <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> reality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> State <strong>of</strong> Palestine.”<br />

Ron Prosor, <strong>the</strong> Israeli ambassador to <strong>the</strong> UN, also addressed <strong>the</strong><br />

assembly before <strong>the</strong> vote, stressing that Israel was “prepared to live in<br />

peace with a Palestinian state”, but that Israeli concerns about its security<br />

must be a part <strong>of</strong> any negotiated dialogue.

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