India votes for Palestinian statehood at UN General Assembly

Several countries pledged to recognise Palestine as a state during the United Nations General Assembly meeting. India, on Friday, September 12, voted in favour of Palestine at the New YorkDeclaration.

The resolution was introduced by France and was adopted with an overwhelming 142 nations voting in favour, 10 against and 12 abstentions.

India was among the 142 nations that backed the measure, titled ‘Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution’.

All Gulf Arab nations also supported it, while Israel, the United States, Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga voted against.

Resolution condemns Israel

In the seven-page declaration, leaders agreed to “take collective action to end the war in Gaza, to achieve a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the effective implementation of the two-state solution, and to build a better future for Palestinians, Israelis and all peoples of the region”.

The text condemned the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that left 1,200 people dead and more than 250 taken hostages. It also criticised Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza, citing widespread civilian casualties, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and “siege and starvation” that have driven a humanitarian disaster.

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a draft resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

The UNGA passed the resolution by a recorded vote of 142 in favor, 10 against and 12 abstentions, Xinhua news agency reported.

The New York Declaration, circulated at a high-level international conference held at the United Nations in late July, sets out an action-oriented pathway toward a peaceful settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the realization of the two-state solution.

France and Saudi Arabia introduced the draft resolution, the two co-chairs of the conference, along with the co-chairs of its working groups.

The permanent observer of the State of Palestine, while thanking those nations that voted for the endorsement of that document, invited “the party that is still pushing the option of war and destruction” to listen to the sound of reason.

The peace option is for everyone who wants to have a two-state solution, and opens the doors for integration in the entire Middle East and allows the region to reach its potential in terms of development and cooperation, he said.

The representative of France said the declaration lays out a single roadmap to deliver the two-state solution, which he said involves an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all the hostages.

It involves the establishment of a Palestinian State that is viable and sovereign, the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from governance in Gaza, as well as normalization between Israel and Arab countries, he said. Before the vote, the representative of the United States said her country opposes the New York Declaration, and that the UNGA’s action on the draft resolution is yet another “misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt” that undermines serious diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

(With inputs from IANS)

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