Israeli Ambassador Shreds UN Charter, Slams Vote on Palestinian Statehood

Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan has torn up a copy of the UN Charter, accusing the General Assembly of disregarding the lives of Israelis and Jews. The Assembly passed a resolution granting the Palestinians the status of a non-member observer state, which Erdan called an "immoral act."

Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan has sparked outrage after tearing up a copy of the UN Charter during a speech at the General Assembly. Erdan was addressing the Assembly before a vote on a resolution granting the Palestinians the status of a non-member observer state. He accused members who supported the motion of "shredding the U.N. charter," saying, "Shame on you."

The United States has vowed to vote against any resolution seeking full UN membership for the Palestinians, arguing that it should only come through direct negotiations between the parties. The vote, brought to the floor by the United Arab Emirates, received support from 143 members, with nine voting against and 25 abstaining. "No" votes included Argentina, Hungary, Israel, and the United States, while abstentions included Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Monaco, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

Erdan's actions drew sharp criticism from many members, including the United States. U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said the vote did not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood but an acknowledgment that it should come through negotiation. Wood also stressed that the resolution would not alter the Palestinians' status at the UN and that the US would not cut funding to UN agencies as a result.

However, Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro University Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, warned that the resolution could lead to the "State of Palestine" holding the presidency of the UN General Assembly, despite its failure to meet the charter's core requirement of being a "peace-loving state." She said, "With today's resolution, the U.N. General Assembly could soon have a President from the so-called "State of Palestine" - without any negotiation or agreement to live in peace and security with a Jewish state. Hamas and its Palestinian Authority UN mouthpiece at the helm of the United Nations' lead body. A day in infamy."

Several members condemned the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack but argued that Israel's actions in Gaza had gone too far. France supported Palestinian admission as UN members but opposed attempts to circumvent the membership admission process. Singapore expressed hope that supporting the motion would push Israel and the Palestinians to resume two-state solution discussions.

Erdan's actions and the resolution's passage have further strained relations between Israel and the UN. Israel views the UN as biased against it and has accused the General Assembly of repeatedly passing resolutions that single out the Jewish state. The UN, on the other hand, has been criticized for failing to effectively address Israeli-Palestinian issues and for its inability to prevent conflicts like the recent Gaza violence.

The vote and Erdan's actions have raised questions about the future of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the role of the UN in resolving it. It remains to be seen whether the resolution will lead to meaningful progress towards a two-state solution or further entrenching the divisions between the parties.