Palestinians Get Approval to Fly Flag at United Nations

posted on: Sep 11, 2015

UNITED NATIONS — Palestinians overwhelmingly won the right on Thursday to fly their national flag in front of United Nations headquarters, a symbolic step opposed by Israel and the United States.

The change was made by the United Nations General Assembly, when a vast majority of member countries voted in favor of a resolution granting what are known as nonmember observer states the right to fly their flags alongside member states.

Palestine became an observer state in 2012. The Vatican, the only other observer state, has held that status since 1964.

Palestinian diplomats secured the support of a majority of the assembly, as was expected, with 119 countries voting in favor of the resolution, eight voting against it and 45 abstaining.

The flag is expected to be hoisted for the first time when the Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, delivers his remarks to the annual meeting of heads of state and government at the General Assembly on Sept. 30. The Vatican has said it has no intention of raising its flag before the visit of Pope Francis.

The resolution is part of the effort by Mr. Abbas and his associates to gain international recognition for a Palestinian state on lands seized or controlled by Israel since the 1967 war.

Israel and the United States have argued that such measures are meaningless without a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Today’s vote is a reaffirmation of the legitimacy of the national aspirations of the Palestinian people, of their existence among the nations of the world and their right to self-determination,” said the Palestinian ambassador, Riyad H. Mansour, in thanking his General Assembly supporters.

Voting in favor of the resolution were the countries of the Arab world, Iran and nearly every African and Asian country. It was co-sponsored by more than 50 countries.

Israel, the United States, Canada and Australia were among the handful that voted against it.

The United States ambassador, Samantha Power, in explaining her no vote, said that raising the flag “is not an alternative to negotiations and will not bring the parties closer to peace.”

The Israeli ambassador, Ron Prosor, angrily described the resolution as a cynical action.

“Make no mistake, the goal of this resolution is a photo op,” Mr. Prosor said. “The Palestinians want to bring together world dignitaries and the media to gather around and watch as Mahmoud Abbas raises a flag. They plan to use the prestige of the U.N. as a backdrop for this charade.”

The 28 member countries of the European Union did not manage to take a united position as they had hoped. France and Sweden were among those voting in favor, while others, including Britain, Germany and Austria, abstained.

Source: www.nytimes.com