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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Vote allows Palestinian flag to be raised at UN | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted in favour of a motion allowing the Palestinian flag to be flown in front of UN buildings. | The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted in favour of a motion allowing the Palestinian flag to be flown in front of UN buildings. |
| Israel strongly opposed the move and urged member states to vote against it. | Israel strongly opposed the move and urged member states to vote against it. |
| The motion was passed by 119 votes, with Israel and the US among the eight countries that voted against. | The motion was passed by 119 votes, with Israel and the US among the eight countries that voted against. |
| Palestinian representative to the UN Riyad Mansour said ahead of the vote it would be "another step" towards solidifying Palestinian statehood. | Palestinian representative to the UN Riyad Mansour said ahead of the vote it would be "another step" towards solidifying Palestinian statehood. |
| The move comes amid growing momentum to recognise Palestinian statehood, with several states showing their support in the past year. | The move comes amid growing momentum to recognise Palestinian statehood, with several states showing their support in the past year. |
| In May, the Vatican signed its first formal bilateral treaty recognising Palestinian statehood. | In May, the Vatican signed its first formal bilateral treaty recognising Palestinian statehood. |
| The motion called for the flags of non-member observer states like the Palestinian territories to follow the flags of member states outside UN offices. | The motion called for the flags of non-member observer states like the Palestinian territories to follow the flags of member states outside UN offices. |
| It also means the flag of the Vatican - the only other non-member observer state - can now be raised. The resolution gives 20 days for the motion to be implemented. | It also means the flag of the Vatican - the only other non-member observer state - can now be raised. The resolution gives 20 days for the motion to be implemented. |
| Abbas address | Abbas address |
| Forty-five nations abstained from the vote, including the UK and many other members of the European Union. | Forty-five nations abstained from the vote, including the UK and many other members of the European Union. |
| France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia were among the EU states that voted in favour. | France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia were among the EU states that voted in favour. |
| In 2012, the UN General Assembly voted to upgrade the status of the Palestinians to that of a "non-member observer state" allowing them to take part in assembly debates. | In 2012, the UN General Assembly voted to upgrade the status of the Palestinians to that of a "non-member observer state" allowing them to take part in assembly debates. |
| It followed a failed bid to join the international body as a full member state in 2011 because of a lack of support in the UN Security Council. | It followed a failed bid to join the international body as a full member state in 2011 because of a lack of support in the UN Security Council. |
| Palestinian observers say they hope to raise the flag on 30 September, when President Mahmoud Abbas is due to address world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York. | Palestinian observers say they hope to raise the flag on 30 September, when President Mahmoud Abbas is due to address world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York. |
| Israel's UN representative Ron Prosor said the move was a "blatant attempt to hijack the UN", insisting that the only way Palestinians could achieve statehood was through direct negotiations. | Israel's UN representative Ron Prosor said the move was a "blatant attempt to hijack the UN", insisting that the only way Palestinians could achieve statehood was through direct negotiations. |
| Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, said the raising of the flag was "not an alternative to negotiations [between the Palestinians and Israel], and will not bring the parties closer to peace". | Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, said the raising of the flag was "not an alternative to negotiations [between the Palestinians and Israel], and will not bring the parties closer to peace". |
| But the French ambassador, Francois Delattre, said the flag was "a powerful symbol, a glimmer of hope" for the Palestinians amid the breakdown of peace talks. | But the French ambassador, Francois Delattre, said the flag was "a powerful symbol, a glimmer of hope" for the Palestinians amid the breakdown of peace talks. |
| Some 135 countries - many in Asia, Africa and Latin America - now recognise a Palestinian state. | Some 135 countries - many in Asia, Africa and Latin America - now recognise a Palestinian state. |