New Delhi [India], July 15 (ANI): Days after India reaffirmed its support for full United Nations membership for Palestine, Palestinian Ambassador to India Abdullah M. Abu Shawesh on Wednesday voiced support for India’s bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, saying the body should include more major nations.
Asked whether Palestine supports India’s candidacy as the country seeks a non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council for the 2028-29 term and the role New Delhi could play on the council, Abu Shawesh told ANI, “India deserves to be a permanent member of the Security Council. Not for just three years.”
He added, “Our position is clear in this regard. I’m pretty sure the vast majority of countries support the renovation or the rehabilitation of the Security Council. Part of this rehabilitation, or revisiting the charter of the Security Council and the rules guiding it, is to have some major countries become permanent members. I’m pretty sure India fully deserves to be a permanent member of the Security Council.”
Speaking to ANI, Abu Shawesh also said the principal obstacle to Palestine obtaining full U.N. membership is the United States, alleging that Washington has repeatedly blocked the process in the U.N. Security Council despite broad international support.
He explained that securing full U.N. membership involves three stages, of which Palestine has completed the first and sees no obstacles with the third.
“To have full recognition as a member state in the United Nations, you need to go through three steps. The first step is to submit the request to the Secretary-General himself, and we already passed this step,” he said.
He said the second stage requires the U.N. Security Council to recommend Palestine’s admission before the U.N. General Assembly takes the final decision.
“The other step is to go through the Security Council, and the Security Council should give a recommendation to the General Assembly, and in the General Assembly, we will be accepted. So the first and the third steps, we have no problem with them at all,” Abu Shawesh said.
However, he alleged that the process has repeatedly been blocked by the United States.
“The second step, unfortunately, due to our experience, has been blocked by the United States of America itself, and the main barrier to this step is the United States of America, which is fully backing the Israeli occupation,” the Palestinian envoy said.
Earlier this week, India reaffirmed its longstanding foreign policy by supporting Palestine’s bid for full United Nations membership and reiterating its commitment to a negotiated resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Speaking at the forum, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador P. Harish Ranganathan, said India has long been a partner of the Palestinian people and reaffirmed the country’s support for a two-state solution, as well as Palestine’s bid for U.N. membership.
The Ministry of External Affairs said India continues to support a two-state solution in which Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and security within internationally recognized borders, in accordance with international law. (ANI)
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