Security Council to vote on full Palestinian UN membership

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote on Friday on the Palestinian Authority’s bid to become a full member state of the UN.

According to estimations, at least eight countries are likely to back the Palestinian appeal. If nine countries vote in favor, Israel will have to rely on the US veto.

The 15-member council had initially been scheduled to vote on the measure on Friday. It will now vote at 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) on Thursday, the diplomats said.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry and officials are making efforts to prevent a majority for this Algerian-proposed resolution, as a similar proposal is expected to come before the council from the French just days later.

The US has signaled unwillingness to cast vetoes twice, but Israel is aiming to block support for the first Algerian proposal to preserve the American veto option for the subsequent French one.

On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the Security Council will convene a special open debate, with participation from foreign ministers of Iran, the European Union, Jordan, Malta, and others.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan will speak, expected to forcefully attack the Palestinian bid and the Council’s consideration of it as “a massive prize for terror.”

Mr. Erdan issued a statement on Wednesday, saying “If the Security Council recommends full membership for the Palestinian Authority that incites and funds terror with no control over its territory – it deserves to be called the UN’s ‘Terror Council’ not ‘Security Council’.”

It was learned that in meetings with the PM and FM, British FM David Cameron committed that his country will oppose the Algerian proposal.