Rice Stresses UN Resolution Doesn’t Establish Palestine As A State

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice deplored the Thursday vote by the U.N General Assembly to grant Palestine non-member observer State status at the United Nations, saying that the resolution does not establish Palestine as a state.

The resolution on the status of Palestine in the UN was adopted by a vote of 138 in favor to nine against with 41 abstentions by the 193-member Assembly.

“Today’s unfortunate and counterproductive resolution places further obstacles in the path to peace. That is why the United States voted against it,” Rice said.

According to Rice, “Today’s grand pronouncements will soon fade. And the Palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little about their lives has changed, save that the prospects of a durable peace have only receded.”

Rice said the U.S. is reiterating its calls for Israel and Palestine to resume direct talks, and that the U.S. will continue to “stand up to every effort that seeks to delegitimize Israel or undermine its security.”

“Progress toward a just and lasting two-state solution cannot be made by pressing a green voting button here in this hall. Nor does passing any resolution create a state where none indeed exists or change the reality on the ground,” said Rice, adding “For this reason, today’s vote should not be misconstrued by any as constituting eligibility for U.N. membership. It does not. This resolution does not establish that Palestine is a state.”