Symbolic UN vote backs Palestine’s bid for UN membership
Semafor Signals
Insights from Shomrim, Haaretz, and The Times of Israel
The News
The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted Friday to back Palestine’s bid to become a UN member in a resolution that also granted more rights to Palestine within the international organization.
Palestine currently has non-member observer status; a bid for its membership at the UN Security Council was blocked by the US in April.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN rebuked the vote, saying the general assembly was welcoming a “terror state into its ranks,” as he shredded a copy of the UN charter to suggest that was what the UN had done by granting additional rights to Palestine.
The UN resolution passed with a vote of 143-9 with the US, Israel, and Hungary among the countries that voted against it. The resolution will allow Palestine to take part in debates, propose items for debate, and have representatives on UN committees.
A growing number of European states, including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Malta are also reportedly considering recognizing a Palestinian state. Of 193 UN member states, 139 have recognized Palestinian statehood, with most Western countries opting not to do so.
SIGNALS
Israel is increasingly isolated internationally
Sources: Haaretz, The New York Times, Semafor
While the international community has condemned the impact of Israel’s war on civilians in Gaza, countries are now increasingly going beyond rhetoric to adopt policies that will have a real impact on Israel, a Haaretz columnist wrote. The US, Israel’s strongest ally, suspended a bomb shipment and threatened to withhold other weapons deliveries over Israel’s planned Rafah assault. Other nations including Italy, the Netherlands, and Canada are halting or limiting weapons exports to Israel, while Turkey decided to halt billions of dollars worth of trade with Israel until a permanent ceasefire is established in Gaza. Colombia and Bolivia have severed diplomatic ties with Israel, while key security partners in the region such as Jordan and Bahrain have recalled their ambassadors.
Israelis are divided about Rafah assault
Sources: The Times of Israel, Politico, Time Magazine
Israel’s possible full-scale assault of the Gazan city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering, has also divided Israelis. A recent poll by the Israel Democracy Institute said 56% of Israelis support prioritizing a hostage deal over invading Rafah — which the IDF has claimed is Hamas’ last stronghold in Gaza. Hostage talks have stalled because Hamas is reluctant to negotiate while Israel continues military operations in Rafah, Politico reported.
Dual-nationals serving in IDF are under increasing threat
Source: Shomrim
A growing number of countries are scrutinizing dual-nationals involved in Israel’s Gaza operations. South African officials have threatened to arrest citizens who have fought for the IDF in Gaza. “I have to lie to most people about where I have been for the past six months because I don’t want to get arrested. I have hardly told anyone that I was in Israel, that I fought in the war and all that,” one South African citizen told Shomrim, an Israeli investigative outfit. France’s foreign minister has said the country is prepared to investigate possible crimes committed by French citizens, and lawsuits have been filed in the Netherlands and Belgium against IDF soldiers.
