John Samuel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote on Thursday on a resolution that seeks to grant full membership to the observer State of Palestine.

Ziad Abu Amr, the UN special representative of the observer State of Palestine, told Al Jazeera, “We are still longing to practice our right to self-determination, to live in freedom, security and peace in an independent state similar to other countries around the world.” He emphasized the significant sacrifices made by Palestinians to reach this goal.

Abu Amr addressed potential concerns from countries that might oppose this resolution (chief among these the United States of America), particularly pointing out the historical precedent set by the UN's recognition of Palestine's famous adversary.

“To those who say that recognising the Palestinian state must happen through negotiations and not through a UN resolution, we say: ‘How was the State of Israel established? Wasn’t that through a UN resolution, which was Resolution 181?”

“We hope you will give us the opportunity to become an integral part of the international community that is working to achieve international peace and security,” Amr added, per Al Jazeera.

However, the bid faces significant challenges, notably from the United States, which has veto power in the council and is a strong ally of Israel. The resolution's passage appears unlikely due to this political dynamic.

Gilad Erdan, Israeli Ambassador to the UN, strongly criticized the proposed resolution during his address to the council.

“If this resolution passes – God forbid – this should no longer be known as the Security Council but as the 'terror' council,” Erdan said, as reported by Al Jazeera. Erdan harshly criticized the Palestinian Authority as a “genocide-loving entity that doesn’t deserve any status” at the UN, questioning the integrity of recognizing a government that lacks control over significant territories like Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

Erdan continued, “The UN is not committed to multilateralism, sadly, it is now committed to multi-terrorism.” He expressed concerns over the timing of the resolution, given the escalating tensions in the region, particularly between Israel and Iran. Following recent hostilities, including an attack on an Israeli consulate and subsequent missile strikes, the region is on high alert.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the meeting with a somber warning about the escalating tensions.

“One miscalculation, one miscommunication, one mistake, could lead to the unthinkable – a full-scale regional conflict that would be devastating for all involved,” Guterres said in his opening remarks, urging all parties to exercise “maximum restraint.” Guterres also highlighted, “It is high time to end the bloody cycle of retaliation,” and “It is high time to stop.”

U.S. opposition to Israeli membership in the United Nations was attested by leaked White House cables which were reported by the Intercept

“It remains the U.S. view that the most expeditious path toward a political horizon for the Palestinian people is in the context of a normalization agreement between Israel and its neighbors,” the cable reads. “We believe this approach can tangibly advance Palestinian goals in a meaningful and enduring way,” the Intercept quoted these cables. “We therefore urge you not to support any potential Security Council resolution recommending the admission of ‘Palestine’ as a U.N. member state, should such a resolution be presented to the Security Council for a decision in the coming days and weeks.”