Serbia votes in favor of Palestine at UNGA

NEW YORK Palestine’s status was upgraded from a UN observer to a nonmember observer state in the UN General Assembly on Thursday. UNGA President Vuk Jeremic has said that this was a historic session. Serbia votes in favor of Palestine at UNGA 138 out of 193 UN member states voted in favor of the resolution, nine were against and 41 states abstained from voting, reports say. Serbia was the only state of the former Yugoslavia that voted in favor of Palestine. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the session called on the UN to “issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine“. He said that the vote was the only chance to preserve the two-state solution. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor said that the only way to reach peace between Israel and Palestinians was through a mutual agreement, not through the UN. He warned that “Palestinians are turning their backs to peace” and accused Abbas of ignoring the history. Prosor noted that the UN could not sever the 4,000-year-long connection between the people of Israel and the Israeli land. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Abbas’ strong criticism of Israel, noting it was “hostile, venomous and full of mendacious propaganda”. U.S. officials strongly criticized the resolution, calling it “shameful”. “Today's unfortunate and counterproductive resolution places further obstacles in the path peace. This is the only reason we voted against it" U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said. A Palestinian flag was quickly unfurled on the floor of the General Assembly after the vote. Palestinians celebrated the upgraded status across the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the results of the vote were released. “This certainly was a historic session. We have to be satisfied because the session went in a perfect order. We were negotiating about how the session will go for days before the session with the Israeli and Palestinian sides because they do not talk directly to each other,” Jeremic told Radio B92. “Some expected that there would be procedural issues, that there would be attempts to obstruct the session. None of that happened. The last minute agreement was honored and we can say that our country, as luck would have it, was at the helm of the UN General Assembly when a decision, that will certainly be recorded in the historical annals, was made. I hope that the decision will contribute to peace in the Middle East,” he stresse.d Experts say that the Palestine’s upgraded status will exert pressure on Israel in all future negotiations but that it will not really change anything on the ground. (Beta/AP) B92 Beta Tanjug

Serbia votes in favor of Palestine at UNGA

138 out of 193 UN member states voted in favor of the resolution, nine were against and 41 states abstained from voting, reports say.

Serbia was the only state of the former Yugoslavia that voted in favor of Palestine.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the session called on the UN to “issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine“.

He said that the vote was the only chance to preserve the two-state solution.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor said that the only way to reach peace between Israel and Palestinians was through a mutual agreement, not through the UN.

He warned that “Palestinians are turning their backs to peace” and accused Abbas of ignoring the history. Prosor noted that the UN could not sever the 4,000-year-long connection between the people of Israel and the Israeli land.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Abbas’ strong criticism of Israel, noting it was “hostile, venomous and full of mendacious propaganda”.

U.S. officials strongly criticized the resolution, calling it “shameful”.

“Today's unfortunate and counterproductive resolution places further obstacles in the path peace. This is the only reason we voted against it" U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said.

A Palestinian flag was quickly unfurled on the floor of the General Assembly after the vote.

Palestinians celebrated the upgraded status across the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the results of the vote were released.

“This certainly was a historic session. We have to be satisfied because the session went in a perfect order. We were negotiating about how the session will go for days before the session with the Israeli and Palestinian sides because they do not talk directly to each other,” Jeremić told Radio B92.

“Some expected that there would be procedural issues, that there would be attempts to obstruct the session. None of that happened. The last minute agreement was honored and we can say that our country, as luck would have it, was at the helm of the UN General Assembly when a decision, that will certainly be recorded in the historical annals, was made. I hope that the decision will contribute to peace in the Middle East,” he stresse.d

Experts say that the Palestine’s upgraded status will exert pressure on Israel in all future negotiations but that it will not really change anything on the ground.