The Palestinian Authority is actively pursuing full member status at the United Nations, AFP reports.
In support of this bid, PA UN envoy Riyad Mansour sent a letter to Vanessa Frazier, the Maltese diplomat and current president of the 15-member UN Security Council, listing 140 countries that have already recognized a Palestinian state, as per the report.
The UN Security Council will evaluate the application during a meeting on Middle East affairs on April 18, with a preliminary review by the council’s committee for new members anticipated beforehand. For the PA, currently recognized as a UN observer, to achieve full member status, it must garner the support of at least nine out of the 15 Security Council members, followed by a two-thirds majority vote in favor by the UN General Assembly.
Opposition is expected from the United States, which has a longstanding policy towards the PA that UN membership should result from a negotiated agreement with Israel.
A recent survey by the “Peace Index” from Tel Aviv University reveals that 66% of Israeli Jews oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, with only 27% in favor.
