Maria’s Note: Palestine, a “non-member observer state”

On November 29, 2012 the United Nations general assembly voted to upgrade Palestine’s status from ‘observer entity’ to ‘non-member observer state’. The assembly, formed by 193 members, gave an overwhelming ‘yes’ to Palestine, with 138 countries voting for the new status, defying the votes of other countries. Only nine nations voted against the measure, among them Israel, the United States, Canada, Panama and the Czech Republic. The other four countries are lesser known, to the point that not a lot of people will be able to locate them on a map.  Where are Micronesia, Palau, Narau and the Marshall Islands?

The vote, which coincided with the 65th anniversary on the UN partition of Palestine, marks a diplomatic advance for the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas.  The decision came in a sensitive moment, after days of conflict between Israel and Palestine earlier this month.

With the approval of the Palestinian bid, some important issues such as the control of Jerusalem, the release of Palestinian political prisoners or the borders, would be negotiated by the member states. 

Also, the new status allows Palestinians to participate in international bodies and commissions. Palestinians have now the possibility of taking Israel to the International Criminal Court, accusing them of crimes against humanity. The prospect of Palestine applying to the ICC, have raised the fears of Europe, the US and Israel.  Britain, Israel and the US have asked the Palestinians to assure that they will not seek to join the ICC, but Palestinian officials said that it is an option for the future.

The positive vote could improve and advance the European support of the peace process, acting as a mediator between Israel and Palestine. If the Palestinian authority manages the situation judiciously, this decision could strongly benefit the status of the country in the long term.