The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly approved yesterday a draft resolution on the right of the Palestinian people to self‑determination.

The draft resolution was approved by a recorded vote of 158 in favor, to 6 against (Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, United States) with 10 abstentions (Australia, Cameroon, Guatemala, Honduras, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, Togo, Tonga). The representative of Egypt, introducing the draft on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), stressed that all States have the right to live in peace within internationally recognized borders.

By the text, the UNGA would reaffirm the right of the Palestinian people to an independent State, urging all States and specialized United Nations agencies and organizations to support them in the early realization of the right to self‑determination.

Before the vote, Israel’s representative said the draft goes beyond the Third Committee’s purview and his delegation would therefore vote against it. He invited Member States to consider other approaches to resolving the question of Palestine, as traditional ones do not work.