UNGA votes to recognize Palestine as non-member observer state

UN General Assembly has voted in favour of granting the upgraded status of Observer state to Palestine on the lines of Vatican.

India was among the 138 countries which voted in favour of the resolution while there were nine votes against the move led by US and Israel. 41 countries abstained from the voting.

The change in status from Observer entity to Observer State means Palestinians can now co sponsor the resolutions at UN. They can access membership of additional UN bodies like the International Criminal Court where they can try to put Israel on war crime charges.

The Palestinians believe that the upgraded status would also help their claims for an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem which was captured by Israel in the 1967.Our correspondent reports that the voting and the reactions on the Palestinian resolution for an upgraded Observer State status was on expected lines.

Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas warned this was the last chance to save the two state solution He said that there is an urgent and pressing need to end Israeli aggression and Palestine won’t forego its inalienable right.

The Israeli Ambassador to UN Ron Prosor said the resolution was one sided and undermines the peace process. He told that peace can not be imposed through UN and the only way out is the direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine.

The US Ambassador Susan Rice told that the resolution was unfortunate, counter productive and would create further obstacles in the path of peace.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Mooon urged the two sides to work for a lasting peace through negotiations while living side by side peacefully.Atul K Tiwary, AIR Nrews, Dubai.

The United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has slammed a UN vote granting observer state status to the Palestinians as unfortunate and counterproductive.

She said the resolution just passed at the United Nations places further obstacles in the path to peace, reiterating that the only way to Palestinian statehood was through direct talks with Israel.