US to vote against bill on Palestine's UN membership

WASHINGTON, April 18 (KUNA) -- The United States said that it will vote against a proposal on giving Palestine a full UN membership during the UN Security Council session in New York on Thursday.
"The United States is voting no on this proposed Security Council resolution," spokesman for the Department of State Vedant Patel said in a briefing.
Patel said that the US do not think that actions in New York, even if they are the most well-intentioned, are the best appropriate path.
"We think the best path forward is direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, supported by the United States and other regional partners," he noted.
Since October 7, "we have been pretty clear that sustainable peace in the region can only be achieved through a two state solution with Israel's security guaranteed," he stated.
"And it remains our view that the most expeditious path towards statehood for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority with the support of the United States and other partners who share this goal.
"We believe this approach can tangibly advance Palestinian goals in a meaningful and enduring way. We also have been very clear consistently that premature actions in New York, even with the best intentions, will not achieve statehood for the Palestinian people," he noted.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres affirmed the need of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through a two-state solution living in peace and security side by side.
This requires ending the Israeli occupation, and establishing a Palestinian viable independent and sovereign state including the Gaza Strip, he said. (end) rsr.hm