LOC02:32
23:32 GMT
RAMALLAH, April 18 (KUNA) - The Palestinian Presidency has strongly condemned the United States' use of its veto power in the UN Security Council, effectively preventing Palestine from obtaining full membership in the United Nations.
Describing the US veto as unfair, unethical, and unjustifiable, the Palestinian Presidency emphasized that this veto defies the will of the international community, which strongly supports Palestine's full membership in the UN.
It said most of the world's countries have recognized Palestine since 2012, when the UN General Assembly voted in favor of upgrading Palestine's status to a non-member observer state.
The Presidency reiterated that "this aggressive US policy towards Palestine and its legitimate rights represents a blatant violation of international law. It fosters Israel's ongoing campaign of aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and pushes the region to the brink of an abyss."
"This aggressive US veto exposes the contradictions in American policy, which claims to support a two-state solution while repeatedly obstructing it through vetoing resolutions in the Security Council against Palestine and its legitimate rights," the Presidency emphasized.
It added, "Achieving peace, security, and stability in the region and the world relies on implementing the resolutions of international legitimacy, ending the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine, and recognizing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital."
The Palestinian Presidency expressed gratitude to the member states that voted in favor of Palestine obtaining full membership in the United Nations, noting that this international vote in support of the Palestinian people's rights demonstrates the world's unified stance behind the values of justice, freedom, and peace. (end)
nq.ibi