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Palestine 194 is the name commonly given to a diplomatic campaign by the Palestinian National Authority to gain membership for the State of Palestine in the United Nations at its 66th Session in September 2011. It seeks to effectively gain legal recognition for a Palestinian state based on the borders prior to the Six Day War, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The initiative developed during the two-year impasse in negotiations with Israel that followed the latter's refusal to freeze its settlement activities in the West Bank. It was first reported in late 2009, are is scheduled to culminate on 20 September, when the Arab League will submit an application to the United Nations to accept Palestine as a member state.

The endeavour was formally backed by the League of Arab States in May, and was officially confirmed by the Palestine Liberation Organization on 26 June. The decision has been labelled by the Israeli government as a unilateral step. Several other countries, such as Germany and Canada, have also denounced the decision and called for a prompt return to negotiations. Many others, however, such as Norway and Russia, have endorsed the plan, as has Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who stated, "UN members are entitled whether to vote for or against the Palestinian statehood recognition at the UN." The Palestinian government believes it is essential in order to mitigate the current impasse.

Background

The State of Palestine was proclaimed on 15 November 1988 in Algiers at an extraordinary session in exile of the Palestine National Council. Legal justification for this act was based on United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 (II) of 29 November 1947, which provided for the termination and partition of the British Mandate into two states. In acknowledgement of the declaration, the United Nations upgraded the observer status of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and accorded it the designation "Palestine", without explicitly referring to it as a state.

At the Security Council in 1989, the PLO representative acknowledged that 94 member states—at that time a majority—had recognised the new Palestinian state. It subsequently attempted to gain membership as a state in several agencies connected to the United Nations, but its efforts were thwarted by threats from the United States to withhold funding from any organisation that admitted Palestine. Consequently, applications and letters of accession to various treaties were either withdrawn or deferred indefinitely. As a consequence, in November 1989, the Arab League proposed a General Assembly resolution to formally recognise the PLO as the government of an independent Palestinian state. The draft, however, was abandoned when the U.S. again threatened to cut off its financing for the United Nations should the vote go ahead. The Arab states agreed not to press the resolution, but demanded that the U.S. promise not to threaten the United Nations with financial sanctions again.

The PLO subsequently committed itself to peace negotiations with Israel brokered by the international community. These begun with the Madrid Conference in 1991, and resulted in the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, leading to the creation of the Palestinian National Authority. In 2002, a Quartet of third-party brokers developed a road map for peace aimed at achieving a viable solution to the conflict including the establishment of a Palestinian state. The current outline for a solution was determined and agreed to by both parties during the Annapolis Conference of 2007.

Causes

The push for a statehood resolution at the United Nations is seen as a result of growing frustration among Palestinians over the lack of progress in negotiations, and over the continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank. In 2008, The New York Times reported that, "Even among the most moderate Palestinians, the credo of a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict is beginning to erode". Jewish scholar Abdallah Schleifer described "a sense among Palestinians of almost desperation, that they are being left behind, that the focus for the achievement of a Palestinian two-state solution, a Palestinian state living alongside an Israeli state based on negotiations, has collapsed." In August 2008, the Palestine Strategy Group, composed of government officials, researchers and advisers, published a new strategic position recommending that the leadership transfer the conflict to the United Nations. It stressed that, given the Israeli government's intransigence, the option of settling the conflict through bilateral negotiations was no longer available.

One of the common misgivings amongst Palestinians about the negotiation process is the inability of the PLO to negotiate with Israel as an equal. The PLO has therefore said that global recognition of the Palestinian state is an opportunity to formally level the playing field and create a situation in which two state partners can negotiate as equals.

In 2009, the government of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad developed a state-building programme aimed at establishing viable institutions capable of providing effective governance despite the occupation. The agenda was published in August and gave a deadline of two years for the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state.

Also in 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama delivered a speech in which he became the first U.S. president to endorse the 1967 borders as the basis for a Palestinian state. He brokered direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine the following year, and at the General Assembly session in September 2010, he set a one-year deadline for these negotiations to produce an independent, sovereign state of Palestine admitted as a member. Negotiatons broke down the following month, however, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to extend his government's moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank, prompting the Palestinians to disengage. President Mahmoud Abbas labelled these settlements as an attempt to impose "facts on the ground" and as "the primary obstacle to any peace process".

In July 2011, the PLO published a paper stating that its quest for international recognition of the State of Palestine is aimed at protecting the viability of the two-state solution, and that it is not intended as a substitute for negotiations. It claimed that recognition "strengthens the possibility of reaching a just and lasting peace based on the terms of reference accepted by the international community as the basis for resolving the conflict." Furthermore, it stated:

"In 1988, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) declared the establishment of the State of Palestine over the territory occupied by Israel in 1967 ... By limiting our national aspirations to 22% of the Palestinian people's historic homeland, the PLO made a historic compromise in the interest of peace. Palestinian concessions over land have been painful but they have been honoured. Since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the international community has repeatedly affirmed that the only formula for peace in the region is the two-state solution, which requires the establishment of a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. ... Now it is time for Israel and the international community to honour commitments made to us by recognising the State of Palestine on the remaining 22% of our patrimony and admitting Palestine to the UN as a full member."

Another factor that has led to the movement is the Arab Spring. Schleifer said of President Abbas, "He's very self-conscious I think of the overall atmosphere of change in the Arab world, which dramatises the lack of accomplishment in terms of achieving a Palestinian state through negotiations".

Campaign

Diplomatic efforts to gain support for the bid gained momentum following a succession of endorsements from South America in early 2011. High-level delegations led by Mahmoud Abbas, Yasser Abed Rabbo, Riyad al-Maliki, Saeb Erekat, Nabil Shaath and Riyad Mansour paid visits to many states. Palestinian ambassadors, assisted by those of other Arab states, were charged with enlisting the support of the governments to which they were accredited. During the lead-up to the vote, Russia, Spain and the People's Republic of China have publicly pledged support for the Palestinian bid, as have inter-governmental organisations such as the African Union, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Israeli counter-measures

Israeli measures to counter the initiative also increased, and Germany, Italy, Canada and the U.S. announced publicly they would vote against the resolution. Israeli and U.S. diplomats began a campaign pressuring many countries to oppose or abstain from the vote. However, because of the "automatic majority" enjoyed by the Palestinians in the General Assembly, the Netanyahu administration has stated that it does not expect to prevent a resolution from passing should it go ahead. In August, Haaretz quoted the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, as stating that Israel stood no chance of altering the outcome of a resolution at the General Assembly by September. "The maximum that we can hope to gain is for a group of states who will abstain or be absent during the vote," wrote Prosor. "Only a few countries will vote against the Palestinian initiative."

Instead, the Israeli government has focused on obtaining a "moral majority" of major democratic powers, in an attempt to diminish the weight of the vote. Considerable weight has been placed on the position of the European Union, which has not yet been announced. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has stated that it is likely to depend on the wording of the resolution. At the end of August, Israel's defence minister Ehud Barak told Ashton that Israel was seeking to influence the wording: "It is very important that all the players come up with a text that will emphasise the quick return to negotiations, without an effort to impose pre-conditions on the sides."

Efforts from both Israel and the U.S. have also focused on pressuring the Palestinian leadership to abandon its plans and return to negotiations. In the U.S., Congress passed a bill denouncing the initiative and calling on the Obama administration to veto any resolution that would recognise a Palestinian state declared outside of an agreement negotiated by the two parties. A similar bill was passed in the Senate, which also threatened a withdrawal of aid to the West Bank. In late August, another congressional bill was introduced which proposes to block U.S. government funding for any United Nations entity that supports giving Palestine an elevated status. Several top U.S. officials, including ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice and consul-general in Jerusalem Daniel Rubinstein, made similar threats. In the same month, it was reported that the Israeli Ministry of Finance was withholding its monthly payments to the PNA. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned that if the Palestinians made a unilateral approach to the United Nations, they would be in violation of the Oslo Accords, and Israel would no longer consider itself bound by them. He also recommended cutting all ties with the PNA.

Application

President Abbas submitted the application for the admission of the State of Palestine as a full member to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 23 September, immediately prior to delivering his address to the General Assembly. The territorial basis referred to were the 4 June 1967 borders, with al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital. An exerpt from the application follows:

I have the profound honor, on behalf of the Palestinian people, to submit this application of the state of Palestine for admission to membership in the United Nations. This application for membership is being submitted on the Palestinian people's natural, legal and historic rights and based on United Nations General Assembly resolution 181 (II) of 29 November 1947 as well as the Declaration of Independence of the State of Palestine of 15 November 1988 and the acknowledgement by the General Assembly of this declaration in resolution 43/177 of 15 December 1988. In this connection, the state of Palestine affirms its commitment to the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the vision of two states living side by side in peace and security, as endorsed by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly and the international community as a whole and based on international law and all relevant United Nations resolutions.

The Security Council will meet to consider the application on 26 September.

Responses

Public

The months coming up to the application's submission saw the emergence of several public support groups and an increasing level of support in grass-roots activist initiatives. A group of artists from Jenin were commissioned to craft an olive-wood blue chair symbolising the campaign and take it on an international tour of the Middle East and Europe en route to the United Nations headquarters in New York. The chair was embroidered with the UN logo and the words "Palestine's Right: A full membership in the United Nations". Online amnesty group Avaaz launched an e-petition on its website urging all United Nations members to endorse the bid to admit Palestine; it reportedly attained 500,000 signatures in its first four days. OneVoice Palestine launched a domestic campaign in partnership with local news agencies, with the aim of getting the involvement and support of Palestinian citizens. Overseas, campaigns were launched in several nations, calling on their governments to vote "yes" in the resolution.

On 7 September, a group of activists under the banner "Palestine: State No. 194" staged a demonstration outside the United Nations' office in Ramallah. During this they submitted to the office a letter addressed to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, urging him to "exert all possible efforts toward the achievement of the Palestinian people's just demands". The following day, Ban told reporters: "I support ... the statehood of Palestinians; an independent, sovereign state of Palestine. It has been long overdue," but that "recognition of a state is something to be determined by the member states."

In the West Bank, support groups called on Palestinians to actively campaign for the bid, and planned a series of co-ordinated demonstrations to take place in cities between 19–23 September. Massive demonstrations were staged in several cities in the West Bank in support of the bid, including Ramallah and Hebron. A women's rally was also staged by Palestinians and Israelis at the Qalandia checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem. On 23 September, thousands turned out in central squares of Ramallah to watch the president's address to the General Assembly. Columns of children marched into the square from side streets holding portraits of Abu Mazen, and candles were lit as he gave the address. One attendant observed, "Large numbers of people have come out like this before, but they always had anger on their faces." The organisers emphasised their intention to keep the rallies strictly peaceful, and reports indicated that this was mostly the case. However, several violent clashes occurred between demonstrators and the Israeli army at Qalandia, in which one Palestinian man was killed. In addition, violence between Israeli settlers and local Palestinians escalated to a peak.

In Gaza, all demonstrations in support or condemnation of the application were banned in an attempt to avoid any action with the potential to deepen the divisions between Palestinian factions. A survey by a Palestinian research center found that 86 percent of Gaza residents favour the push for membership, more than in the West Bank.

Overseas, rallies in support of the bid were staged in Berlin, Buenos Aires, Bucharest, Caracas, Copenhagen, London and Sacramento. Demonstrators in Amman expressed opposition to the proposal, calling instead for a state on the entirety of the historical Palestinian land. Massive rallies were staged in New York on the days leading up to the summit, and continued outside the United Nations headquarters building throughout the duration of the session. Competing rallies were staged by right-wing Jewish groups.

Hamas

Despite the agreement to form a unity government in April, Hamas was strongly critical of the campaign. Officials labelled it as a purely symbolic move that would not lead to any results; spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said, "Even if this move is carried out, it will not oblige the occupation to withdraw one step from the land of Palestine." He also accused Fatah of acting unilaterally, stating that the proposal did not take Hamas' concerns into consideration.

Days before the application was submitted to the Security Council, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh outwardly rejected the terms of the proposal but emphasised that Hamas would not stand in the way of the establishment of a Palestinian state. He refused to concede anything that would legitimise Israel: "There is no mandate for any Palestinian leadership to infringe on Palestinian national rights, nor is there a mandate for any Palestinian actor to make historic concessions on Palestinian land or the right of the Palestinians, foremost among them the right of return." He added, "We are with the establishment of a Palestinian state on any liberated part of Palestinian land that is agreed upon by the Palestinian people, without recognising Israel or conceding any inch of historical Palestine."

Though some Hamas officials reportedly suggested they would support a peace deal based on the 1967 lines, Haniyeh and many others remained vehemently opposed. "The Palestinian people do not beg the world for a state, and the state can't be created through decisions and initiatives," Haniyeh said. "States liberate their land first and then the political body can be established." Senior official Khalil al-Hayya requested that the legislative council approach the United Nations for recognition of a Palestinian state on all of historical Palestine, and appealed to the United Nations to invalidate Israel.

Israel

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International

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Discussions about Palestinian statehood started right at the beginning of the 66th United Nations General Assembly in 21 September 2011. During the opening statement, Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff reinforced her country's support to the Palestinian claim to UN recognition. U.S. President Barack Obama however, stated it needs more than a UN voting to solve the conflict without a mutual agreement between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities. French President Nicholas Sarkozy claimed that despite a statehood approval may be premature right now, allowing Palestine's ascension to "observer member" status at least would be "an important step forward".

Positions of member states

In order for a state to gain membership in the General Assembly, its application must have the support of two-thirds of member states with a prior recommendation for admission from the Security Council. This requires, in particular, the absence of a veto from any the Security Council's five permanent members. At the prospect of a veto from the United States, Palestinian leaders signalled they might opt instead for a more limited upgrade to "non-member state" status, which requires a simple majority in the General Assembly.

Member state	Rec.	Pos.	Further details
Afghanistan	Yes
Albania	Yes
Algeria	Yes
Andorra	No
Angola	Yes		Speaking to reporters in New York on 20 September, Foreign Minister Georges Chicoti said that Angola supports the admission of the Palestinian state to the United Nations.
Antigua and Barbuda	Yes		Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer formally recognised the State of Palestine during the General Assembly session in September. The statement was circulated to representatives in attendance, and read, "Antigua and Barbuda is of the view that recognition of the State of Palestine will contribute to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the creation of lasting peace and stability in the region."
Argentina	Yes		In her address to the General Assembly on 21 September, Cristina Fernández gave her support for the application and said that giving membership to Palestine would contribute to a more secure and just world: "Failing to include Palestine this year, far from giving security and stability to the world, will create more insecurity and completely unfavorable conditions for what should be the exercise of a body which should represent the interests of all citizens."
Armenia	No
Australia	No
Austria	No
Azerbaijan	Yes
Bahamas	No
Bahrain	Yes		In his speech to the General Assembly on 22 September, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa called on the United Nations to recognise Palestine as a member state: "Today, more than any time before, the international community has an opportunity to do justice to the brotherly Palestinian people and to assist it to achieve its legitimate aspirations by recognising its independent Palestinian state on their own national territory, with East Jerusalem as its capital."
Bangladesh	Yes
Barbados	No
Belarus	Yes
Belgium	No
Belize	Yes
Benin	Yes
Bhutan	Yes
Bolivia	Yes
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Yes
Botswana	Yes
Brazil	Yes		In her address to the General Assembly, President Dilma Rouseff reiterated her country's full support: "We believe the time has come for us to have Palestine fully represented as a full member in this fourm."
Brunei	Yes
Bulgaria	Yes
Burkina Faso	Yes
Burundi	Yes
Cambodia	Yes
Cameroon	No
Canada	No
Cape Verde	Yes
Central African Republic	Yes
Chad	Yes
Chile	Yes
China	Yes
Colombia	No
Comoros	Yes		President Ikililou Dhoinine said his country supported the membership request and called for the support of other member states.
Congo	Yes
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Yes
Costa Rica	Yes
Côte d'Ivoire	Yes
Croatia	No
Cuba	Yes
Cyprus	Yes
Czech Republic	Yes
Denmark	No
Djibouti	Yes		President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh expressed his solidarity with the Palestinian people's continued struggle under occupation and urged countries to give hope to Palestinians by recognising them as a member state. He said that history would remember this session if their hopes were allowed to come to fruition.
Dominica	No
Dominican Republic	Yes
Ecuador	Yes
Egypt	Yes
El Salvador	Yes		President Mauricio Funes stated in his address that, "Recognizing Palestine as a new State in the United Nations is, in my opinion, the right way to contribute to resolving this conflict."
Equatorial Guinea	Yes
Eritrea	No		President Isaias Afewerki reaffirmed his nation's support for the right of Palestinians to self-determination and an independent, sovereign state, but emphasised that the Palestinian drive for United Nations membership should not become a symbolic battle bereft of substance, recalling that the Oslo Accords had led neither to Palestinian statehood, nor to peace between the two sides.
Estonia	No
Ethiopia	Yes
Fiji	No
Finland	No
France	No
Gabon	Yes
Gambia	Yes
Georgia	Yes
Germany	No
Ghana	Yes
Greece	No		Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis told the General Assembly that Greece fully supports the bid: "Greece supports unequivocally Palestine's right to statehood. It is now our responsibility, the responsibility of every member-state of the UN, to respect the Palestinian decision to request membership, and more importantly, to turn this into an opportunity that will jump-start anew direct negotiations."
Grenada	No
Guatemala	No
Guinea	Yes
Guinea-Bissau	Yes
Guyana	Yes
Haiti	No
Honduras	Yes
Hungary	Yes
Iceland	No		Following a trip to Gaza in July 2011, Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson announced his country would support the resolution. "I told that if it came to be at the United Nations General Assembly in September that a motion would be put forward by the nations supporting Palestinian independence and encouraging other nations to recognise Palestine as an independent nation with its 1967 borders, Iceland would support that. Likewise, if a proposition comes to the UN to include Palestine into the UN as a new nation ... Iceland would also support that." The minister reiterated his support in September.
India	Yes		In a letter sent to President Abbas dated 22 August 2011, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured Palestine of India's full support in its endeavour: "India has been unwavering in its support of the cause of Palestinian peoples' struggle for sovereign, independent, viable and a United State of Palestine with east Jerusalem as its capital, living within secure and recognisable borders, side by side and at peace with Israel as endorsed in the Arab Peace Initiative". The country's representative to the United Nations, Hardeep Singh Puri, reiterated, "Let me be absolutely clear and assure you of India's full support for Palestine at the UN."
Indonesia	Yes		Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa announced that his country would support the application and lobbied other countries to do likewise: "We will seek any opportunity to ensure that Palestine's bid for UN membership, if that is what the Palestinians really want, gets international support."
Iran	Yes		Speaking to reporters in Tehran in mid-September, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi stated that "Palestine is not divisible, and it cannot be divided into two parts as some are saying. Iran's official stance is that Palestine belongs to all Palestinians. Palestine belonged to Palestinians from the outset, and we do not approve of the breakup of Palestine."
Iraq	Yes		President Jalal Talabani supported and endorsed the request to achieve full international recognition for the State of Palestine and called on the international community to stand by the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle.
Ireland	No
Israel	No		See above
Italy	No		Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said in May 2011 that Italy would not recognise a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood. At an event in Rome celebrating Israel's independence, Berlusconi praised Israel for being the only true democracy in the Middle East and pledged his country's support for Israelis in "difficult situations". "Italy has always stood by Israel, even within the framework of the EU when it opposed decisions that were unbalanced and unjust towards Israel." In June, he reiterated: "We do not believe that a unilateral solution can help peace, neither on the Palestinian side nor on the Israeli side. I believe peace can only be reached with a common initiative through negotiations."
Jamaica	No
Japan	No
Jordan	Yes
Kazakhstan	Yes
Kenya	Yes
Kiribati	No
Korea, North	Yes
Korea, South	No
Kuwait	Yes
Kyrgyzstan	Yes
Laos	Yes
Latvia	No
Lebanon	Yes		President Michel Sleiman, whose nation is presiding over the Security Council, supported the bid: "It is important to underscore the rightful Palestinian efforts aiming at earning the recognition of the state of Palestine and its full membership to the United Nations in line with the right of self-determination. Lebanon will back these efforts in order for the latter to succeed with the coordination and cooperation of brotherly and friendly countries."
Lesotho	Yes
Liberia	Yes
Libya	Yes
Liechtenstein	No
Lithuania	No
Luxembourg	No
Macedonia	No
Madagascar	Yes
Malawi	Yes
Malaysia	Yes		In New York, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman stated, "Malaysia has all along stood firm on the Palestine issue and its support for Palestine as a full member of the United Nations. ... If Palestine tables its application (to be a member of the United Nations) at this general assembly, Malaysia will fully support it."
Maldives	Yes		Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem expressed his country's support for the Palestinian request and called other nations to do the same: "When the Palestinians present their case to the UN, the Maldives will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them, and we call on all others to do likewise." The minister added, "We do not accept that UN recognition of Palestinian statehood would harm the chances of a negotiated peace. We believe rather that it will help those chances by creating a situation in which two state partners can negotiate as equals."
Mali	Yes
Malta	Yes
Marshall Islands	No
Mauritania	Yes
Mauritius	Yes
Mexico	No
Micronesia, Federated States of	No		President Emanuel Mori said, "We continue to support Israel's right to live within secure and recognised borders. ... We also acknowledge Palestine's right to statehood, which can only be achieved through negotiated settlement between the two parties." He echoed U.S. President Barack Obama's statement in saying, "there are no shortcuts to solving the problem."
Moldova	No
Monaco	No
Mongolia	Yes
Montenegro	Yes
Morocco	Yes
Mozambique	Yes
Myanmar	No
Namibia	Yes		President Hifikepunye Pohamba voiced his support for Palestine's admission as a full member state and reaffirmed his country's full and unequivocal support for the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people to achieve their inalienable right to self-determination and national independence.
Nauru	No
Nepal	Yes
Netherlands	No
New Zealand	No
Nicaragua	Yes
Niger	Yes		President Mahamadou Issoufou said that the Palestinians had given the United Nations an opportunity to make a brave decision to resolve the question of Palestine in a definitive manner, and that failure to make such a decision would erase the progress made in the Arab Spring.
Nigeria	Yes
Norway	No		Prior to the gathering in New York, Foreign Minister Jonas Støre confirmed that Norway will support the Palestinians' request for full membership in the United Nations. At a meeting in New York, Støre said that Norway's support would depend on the official proposal: "The Palestinians must be willing to start negotiations on final status issues. The text must recognise Israel's right to exist and not delegitimise the State of Israel, either directly or indirectly."
Oman	Yes
Pakistan	Yes
Palau	No
Panama	No
Papua New Guinea	Yes
Paraguay	Yes
Peru	Yes
Philippines	Yes
Poland	Yes
Portugal	No
Qatar	Yes		Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, whose nation is presiding over this General Assembly session, delivered an address at its opening ceremony on 21 September in which he gave his support for the bid. At the beginning of the month it was reported that Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani had actively campaigned for the Palestinians' application. His government's efforts were hailed by Abbas and other Palestinian officials.
Romania	Yes
Russia	Yes		President Dmitry Medvedev pledged his support for the bid in January 2011, which was reiterated by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the General Assembly in September.
Rwanda	Yes
Saint Kitts and Nevis	No
Saint Lucia	No
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Yes
Samoa	No
San Marino	No
São Tomé and Príncipe	Yes
Saudi Arabia	Yes
Senegal	Yes
Serbia	Yes
Seychelles	Yes
Sierra Leone	Yes
Singapore	No
Slovakia	Yes
Slovenia	No
Solomon Islands	No
Somalia	Yes
South Africa	Yes		President Jacob Zuma threw his country's support behind the bid, stating: "The Palestinian Authority ... has stated its intention to seek UN membership for the State of Palestine. South Africa fully supports this position. It is a decisive step towards achieving lasting peace."
South Sudan	Yes		On August 6th, the Foreign Minister of South Sudan said "Our stance is obvious. We will recognize any state that recognizes us.”
Spain	No
Sri Lanka	Yes		President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared his disappointment that, despite repeated references in the General Assembly on the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own, the international community had not been able to make that a reality.
Sudan	Yes
Suriname	Yes
Swaziland	Yes
Sweden	No
Switzerland	No
Syria	Yes
Tajikistan	Yes
Tanzania	Yes
Thailand	No
Timor-Leste	Yes
Togo	Yes
Tonga	No
Trinidad and Tobago	No
Tunisia	Yes
Turkey	Yes
Turkmenistan	Yes
Tuvalu	No
Uganda	Yes
Ukraine	Yes
United Arab Emirates	Yes
United Kingdom	No
United States	No
Uruguay	Yes
Uzbekistan	Yes
Vanuatu	Yes
Venezuela	Yes		In a letter addressed to Ban Ki-moon dated 17 September, President Hugo Chavez pledged "Venezuela's full support of the recognition of the Palestinian State: of Palestine’s right to become a free, sovereign and independent state. This represents an act of historic justice towards a people who carry with them, from time immemorial, all the pain and suffering of the world."
Vietnam	Yes		On 20 September, the Foreign Ministry spokesman stated, "Vietnam has recognised the state of Palestine since 1988 and always supports regional and international efforts towards the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state that co-exists peacefully with neighbouring Israel with their border line set up before June, 1967. In that spirit, Vietnam supports Palestine's efforts to soon become a member of the United Nations."
Yemen	Yes
Zambia	Yes
Zimbabwe	Yes		In his address to the General Assembly on 22 September, President Robert Mugabe said, "My country fully supports the right of the gallant people of Palestine to statehood and membership of this UN organisation."

Implications

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Foreign Minister Erekat said, "We are not going for a unilateral declaration of the Palestinian state. We declared our state in 1988 and we have embassies in more than 130 countries and more countries are recognising our state on the 1967 borders. The recognition of the Palestinian state is a sovereignty decision by the countries and it doesn't need to happen through the UN." President Abbas said that the State of Palestine was already in existence and that the current battle is to have the state's border recognised. In Salam Fayyad's plan for Palestinian statehood, the 1988 declaration is cited four times, identifying it as having articulated "the foundations of the Palestinian state".

See also

• Israel, Palestine, and the United Nations
• List of United Nations resolutions concerning Israel
• Proposals for a Palestinian state

References

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7. Ashkar, Alaa (9 September 2011). "UN Secretary-General Supports Full Palestinian Membership". IMEMC News. International Middle East Media Center. Retrieved 2011-09-09. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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9. Reut Institute (14 August 2004). "Act of Recognition of Statehood". Structure of the Political Process. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
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14. Kershner, Isabel (3 September 2008). "Support for 2-State Plan Erodes". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
15. ^ Mintzer, Rebekah (22 September 2011). "Interview: Palestinian bid for statehood could help restart peace process in long run, expert says". Xinhua. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
16. Palestine Strategy Group (August 2008). "Regaining the Initiative" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-09-23.
17. Eldar, Akiva (30 August 2011). "New Palestinian strategy document will make it difficult for U.S. to oppose UN vote". Haaretz. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
18. Staff writers (20 September 2011). "Maldives asks other nations to back Palestinians UN bid". Haveeru Daily. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
19. Sawafta, Ali (19 September 2011). "Abbas defiant on U.N. bid as official scramble on crisis". Reuters. KSFR. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
20. ^ Palestinian National Authority (August 2011). "Program of the Thirteenth Government" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-09-23.
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26. Sherwood, Harriet (18 January 2011). "Dmitry Medvedev restates Russian support for Palestinian state". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
27. Media agencies (26 August 2011). "China announces support for Palestinian UN statehood bid". Haaretz. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
28. Staff writers (31 January 2011). "African Union declares support for Palestine". Ma'an News Agency. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
29. Agence France-Presse (6 September 2011). "Non-Aligned movement confirms support for Palestinian statehood bid". Al Arabiya. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
30. ^ Staff writers (18 July 2011). "Israeli minister says Palestinians losing UN bid". Almasry Alyoum. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
31. Gruen, G.E. (1982). The Palestinians in perspective: implications for Mideast peace and U.S. policy. Institute of Human Relations Press, American Jewish Committee. p. 16. ISBN 9780874950427.
32. Medzini, Ronen (26 May 2011). "Palestinian UN bid: Israel's battle for Europe". Ynetnews. Yedioth Internet. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
33. Ravid, Barak (28 August 2011). "UN envoy Prosor: Israel has no chance of stopping recognition of Palestinian state". Haaretz. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
34. Somfalvi, Attila (17 August 2011). "PA to soften UN statehood bid?". Ynetnews. Yedioth Internet. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
35. Keinon, Herb (24 April 2011). "EU split over UN recognition of Palestinian state". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
36. Perry, Dan; Melvin, Don (26 May 2011). "Europe May Have Key Role in Palestinians' UN Maneuver". CNS News. Cybercast News Service. Retrieved 2011-09-01.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
37. ^ Susser, Leslie (21 June 2011). "Pressure mounts on Palestinians to abandon U.N. statehood gambit". Jewish Telegraph Agency. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
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40. United States Congress (15 December 2010). "H.Res. 1765". 111th Congress. Library of Congress. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
41. United States Senate (28 June 2011). "S.Res. 185". 112th Congress. Library of Congress. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
42. Mozgovaya, N. (29 June 2011). "U.S. Senate passes resolution threatening to suspend aid to Palestinians". Haaretz. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
43. Mozgovaya, Natasha (31 August 2011). "U.S. bill aims to cut funds to pro-Palestinian UN groups". Haaretz. The Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
44. Swaine, J. (24 June 2011). "US 'could withdraw funding from UN if Palestine state is recognised'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
45. Staff writers (26 August 2011). "U.S.: We will stop aid to Palestinians if UN bid proceeds". Haaretz. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
46. Lapide, Joshua (31 August 2011). "Israel's increasingly bitter war against Palestinian seat in UN". AsiaNews. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
47. Poblete-Enriquez, Florence (23 September 2011). "Palestinian Authority applies for full UN membership". United Nations Radio. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
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50. Agence France-Presse (30 August 2011). "Home-made Palestinian 'UN chair' to tour Europe". Al Arabiya. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
51. Staff writers (30 August 2011). "Chair dedicated to Palestinian UN bid set for world tour". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
52. "Palestine: the world's next nation". Avaaz.org. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
53. OneVoice Movement (8 September 2011). "OneVoice youth activists unveil campaign backing Palestinian UN bid". Retrieved 2011-09-09.
54. See the following:
    • Concerned Citizens. "UNRECOGNISED". Retrieved 2011-09-09.
    • Sadaka. "Join Ireland's call to support UN membership for Palestine!". Retrieved 2011-09-09.: "...to be printed in the Irish Times on 17th September 2011".
55. "The National Campaign". Palestine: State No. 194. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
56. Staff writers (9 September 2011). "UN Secretary General: Palestinian statehood is 'long overdue'". Haaretz. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
57. ^ Maher Abukhater (10 September). "Palestinians start pro-U.N. bid activities". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-09-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
58. Issacharoff, Avi; Pfeffer, Anshel (21 September 2009). "Thousands rally in Ramallah to back Palestinian statehood bid". Haaretz. Retrieved 2011-09-24.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
59. Staff writers (17 September 2011). "Demonstrators support Palestinian state bid". RFI. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
60. ^ Kershner, Isabel; Bronner, Ethan (23 September 2011). "Palestinians Rally in West Bank for Abbas Speech; Clashes Reported". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-09-24.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
61. Owen, Ken; Slier, Paula (23 September 2011). "Tear gas fired on West Bank protesters: RT inside report". RT TV. TV-Novosti. Retrieved 2011-09-24.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
62. Dzhashi, Marina; Slier, Paula (23 September 2011). "Israeli settlers vs. Palestinians: Land dispute time bomb". RT TV. TV-Novosti. Retrieved 2011-09-24.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
63. Agence-France Presse (19 September 2011). "Hamas, Fatah agree no Gaza demos over UN bid". France 24. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
64. Saud Abu Ramadan; Ferziger, Jonathan (23 September 2011). "Palestinians in Gaza Defy Hamas to Support Abbas Drive for UN Recognition". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2011-09-24.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
65. See the following:
    • Uni, Assaf (20 September 2011). "Palestinians rally in Berlin: 'Germany is pro-Israel'". Ynet News. Yedioth Internet. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
    • Staff writers (22 September 2011). "Rallies in Romania, Argentina for UN statehood bid". Ma'an News Agency. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
    • Castrillón, Diana (23 September 2011). "Hundreds rally in Venezuela in support of Palestinian state". NTN24. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
    • Staff writers (22 September 2011). "Demonstration in Denmark in Support of UN Bid". Palestine News & Information Agency. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
    • Emmett, Laura; Thomas, Sean (22 September 2011). "Palestine to UK: 'You owe us recognition!'". RT TV. TV-Novosti. Retrieved 2011-09-24.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    • Lindelof, Bill (23 September 2011). "Pro-Palestine demonstrators to gather in Sacramento". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
66. Abdul Jalil Mustafa (23 September 2011). "Jordanians protest for reforms". Arab News. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
67. See the following:
    • Reuters (16 September 2011). "New Yorkers rally for Palestine". Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 2011-09-24. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
    • Levy, Tracy (18 September 2011). "Hundreds turn out in New York for pro-Palestinian rally". Haaretz. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
68. Kane, Alex (21 September 2011). "Israel's remaining friends rally around flag outside of UN". Mondoweiss. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
69. Nahmias, Roee (15 September 2011). "Hamas slams Fatah's statehood bid". Ynet News. Yedioth Internet. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
70. ^ Agence-France Presse (18 September 2011). "Hamas rejects U.N. bid, saying it compromises 'historical Palestine'". Al Arabiya. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
71. The Associated Press (23 September 2011). "Hamas: Abbas relinquishing Palestinian rights with UN bid". Haaretz. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
72. ^ O'Reilly, Andrew; Planas, Roque (21 September 2011). "First Woman To Open UNGA Debate". Latin America News Dispatch. Retrieved 2011-09-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
73. "Obama avoids tough talk on Israeli-Palestinian conflict". CNN. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
74. "21 September 2011 - General Assembly - Opening of the 66th session - Speech by Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic". France at the United Nations. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
75. Vick, Karl (1 September 2011). "The Palestinians' Statehood Dilemma: Full U.N. Membership or Observer Status?". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
76. Staff writers (20 September 2011). "Angola admits world's maturity in conflict resolution". Angop. Agência AngolaPress. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
77. Staff writers (22 September 2011). "Antigua and Barbuda Recognizes Palestine". Caribarena. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
78. Staff writers (21 September 2011). "Argentina supports UN recognition to Palestinian State". Agecia Venezolana de Noticias. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
79. Staff writers (22 September 2011). "Bahrain calls for UN recognition of Palestine". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
80. ^ United Nations (19–21 September 2011). "Palestinian Authority President Presents Application for United Nations Membership as Heads of State, Government Address General Assembly". Department of Public Information, News and Media Division. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
81. Reuters (24 September 2011). "Greek FM: Greece backs Palestinian statehood bid". GMA News. GMA Network Inc. Retrieved 2011-09-23. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
82. NewsGuy (11 July 2011). "Iceland To Back Palestinian Statehood At UN". The Right Perspective. Goodwin, Peter. Retrieved 2011-08-01.
83. Staff writers (21 September 2011). "Iceland Supports Palestine's Independence". Iceland Review. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
84. Suman Guha Mozumder (22 September 2011). "India to back Palestine's UN bid, reassures PM". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
85. Antara (20 September 2011). "Indonesia an Enthusiastic Ally For Palestine's UN Aspirations". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
86. Staff writers (19 September 2011). "Palestine is indivisible: Iranian FM". Tehran Times. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
87. Staff writers (12 May 2011). "Berlusconi: Italy won't recognize Palestinian state". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
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89. Staff writers (22 September 2011). "Sleiman: Lebanon committed to international resolutions". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
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95. Staff writers (4 September 2011). "'Qatar Backs PA's UN Bid for Statehood,' Says Chief Negotiator". The Peninsula. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
96. Staff writers (22 September 2011). "Abbas: Qatar Plays Significant Role in Palestinian UN Statehood Bid". Qatar News Agency. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
97. Sherwood, Harriet (18 January 2011). "Dmitry Medvedev restates Russian support for Palestinian state". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
98. Staff writers (23 September 2011). "Palestinian UN bid should be resolved by consensus - Russian FM". RIA Novosti. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
99. Zuma, Jacob (21 September 2011). "Statement By President Jacob Zuma to the General Debate of the 66th United Nations General Assembly, UN Headquarters, New York". Government of South Africa. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
100. "Republic of South Sudan will recognize Palestine as an independent state". Bahrain News Agency. 6 August 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
101. Chávez, Hugo (17 September 2011). "Letter from President Hugo Chavez to the Secretary General of the United Nations". Venezuelanalysis.com. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
102. Government of Vietnam (20 September 2011). "Viet Nam supports Palestine's efforts to soon become UN member". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Press and Information Department. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
103. Mugabe, Robert (22 September 2011). "Full text: Mugabe's speech to 66th UN General Assembly". ZimEye. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
104. Staff writers (25 May 2011). "Palestinians seek UN membership, not recognition of statehood". Xinhua. People's Daily Online. Retrieved 2011-05-25.
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External links

• Avaaz.org
• Palestine194.org
• Palestine State 194
• OneVoice Palestine
• Medzini, Ronen. "Who will endorse Palestine?". Ynet News.
• Voeten, Erik. "The Palestine Vote: Who Will Vote How?". The Monkey Cage.
• Ensor, Josie. "Palestinian UN statehood bid: as it happened". The Telegraph.

• Israel, Palestine, and the United Nations
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
• Israeli–Palestinian peace efforts
• Palestinian nationalism
• Palestinian politics
• United Nations resolutions concerning Israel