The participation of Palestine in the UN General Assembly with special rights Greece voted in favor on Friday, as did the majority of EU member states. The resolution gives certain privileges to the Palestinians, which will take effect from September 2024, such as a seat among UN members in the General Assembly hall. But they will not have the right to vote.

Specifically, 143 countries, including Greece, voted “yes”, 9 “no” and 25 abstained. Among the nine that voted against it were the US and Israel.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, denounced the Organization as “welcoming a terrorist state in its ranks.”

“We want peace, we want freedom,” Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour said before the vote. “A positive vote is a vote for Palestinian existence, not against any state (…) It is an investment in peace. Voting yes is the right thing to do,” he said, his remarks being applauded by those present.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry reacted immediately, characterizing “gift to Hamas” the decision of the General Assembly.

“The absurd decision received today at the General Assembly highlights the structural bias of the United Nations and the reasons why, under the leadership of Secretary-General (António) Guterres, it has turned into an irrelevant institution,” said Foreign Minister Israel Katz.

The Palestinian request comes as the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip enters its seventh month and Israel expands settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the UN considers illegal.

The General Assembly thus returns the request to the Security Council and recommends that he “reconsider the matter favourably”.