Palestine Welcomes UNGA Resolution in Favor of Palestinians’ Self-determination

Ramallah, MINA – Palestine on Thursday night welcomed the United Nations General Assembly resolution in support of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, the Palestinian News Agency reported.

Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Riyad al-Malki welcomed the adopted by the United Nations of draft resolution III on “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination”. A total of 167 member states voted in favor of the draft resolution, six others voted against it, namely Chad, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru and the United States, with nine abstentions.

The United Nations said that by the draft, it stressed “the urgency of ending Israeli occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which began in 1967, as well as a just, lasting peace settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, based on relevant resolutions of the United Nations and the Madrid terms of reference, including the Arab Peace Initiative and Quartet Road map to a permanent two‑State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

It also stressed “the need to respect the territorial integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. Further, the Assembly urged all States and the United Nations to continue to support and assist the Palestinian people in the early realization of their right to self-determination”.

Al-Malki thanked the member states that voted in favor of the resolution, stressing that the right to self-determination is an inalienable and non-negotiable right, particularly to the Palestinian people, and it is inextricably related to the Palestinian refugees’ right to return and Palestinians’ right to independence and emancipation from the illegal Israeli colonial occupation.

He added that the vote on the draft resolution constituted the natural response to the attempts to undermine the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and an overt confrontation with Israeli crimes and violations.

He urged the UN member states to shoulder their responsibilities regarding safeguarding the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights and take practical steps to face the Israeli occupation and engage with Palestine to secure a legal advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the occupation and its impacts on the Palestinians’ exercise of their right to self-determination.

While thanking the member states that voted in favor of the draft resolution, al-Malki called on member states that voted against it and those who abstained from vote to reconsider their positions since their opposition to the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination is in fact a serious violation of the principles of international law, a violation that would make them complicit in the crime of colonialism as well as in other crimes against humanity committed by Israel. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)