• United Nations

Bangkok, May 11 (EFE).-

Malaysia on Saturday welcomed the majority vote of the United Nations General Assembly to recognize Palestine as a full member and said it is a necessary step for peace in the Middle East.

In a statement, the Malaysian foreign ministry spoke of the overwhelming support of the Assembly in Friday’s vote, with 143 in favor, nine against and 25 abstentions, for the UN Security Council to consider Palestine’s candidacy as full member of the United Nations.

Malaysia was one of more than 70 countries to co-sponsor the resolution proposed in the Assembly along with numerous Arab countries and some European countries such as Spain, Ireland, Norway and Belgium, while those from the United States and Argentina stood out among the negative votes.

The foreign ministry spoke of the need for Palestine to be a full member of the UN with all the rights to participate in the sessions and work of the organization.

“Malaysia will continue its efforts for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the admission of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations,” the statement read.

The General Assembly’s support for Palestine is significant but its decisions are not binding, unlike the UN Security Council, which on Apr. 18 rejected Palestine’s membership with the veto by the US.

The diplomatic initiative in favor of Palestine comes amid Israel’s offensive against the Gaza Strip, which began on Oct. 7 in response to an attack on Israeli soil by Palestinian Islamic group Hamas. EFE

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