Palestinians look to UN General Assembly support for full membership

United Nations: A draft resolution that would recognise the Palestinians as eligible for full membership in the UN and urge the UN Security Council to "reconsider the matter favorably" could be put to a vote by the UN General Assembly on Friday.

It would essentially serve as an international survey on the extent of support that the Palestinians have for their proposal, which the US blocked last month in the UN Security Council. The 15-member Security Council and then the General Assembly must approve an application to become a fully-fledged member of the United Nations, Reuters reported.

According to diplomats, the 193-member General Assembly will probably support the Palestinian proposal. However, modifications to the document may be made after several diplomats voiced concerns about the present text, which was obtained by Reuters and gives the Palestinians more rights and privileges short of complete membership.

Using Kosovo and Taiwan as examples, some diplomats claim that this might set a precedent for similar circumstances in the future.

The current draft General Assembly resolution has drawn criticism from Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan, who said on Monday that it violates the founding UN Charter and would provide the Palestinians the de facto status and rights of a state.

“If it is approved, I expect the United States to completely stop funding the UN and its institutions, in accordance with American law,” said Erdan, adding that nothing on the ground would be changed with the adoption by the General Assembly.