(September 20, 2023)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune yesterday called for a special session of the UN Assembly to vote on granting Palestine full membership to the organisation.
In a speech, Tebboune told the 78th session of the UN General Assembly that Algeria renews its demand for holding an extraordinary General Assembly meeting to grant Palestine full membership into the UN.
(Nov. 13, 1974)
The vote of 91 to 22 was taken to uphold a ruling by the Assembly‘s President, Foreign Minister Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, suspending South African participation.
The United States unsuccessfully challenged the ruling, Which was also opposed by Britain, a number of Western Europeans and South Americans, and some others. Nineteen countries abstained.
(October 25, 2011)
On Oct. 25, 1971, the United Nations General Assembly voted to admit the People’s Republic of China (mainland China) and to expel the Republic of China (Taiwan). The Communist P.R.C. therefore assumed the R.O.C.’s place in the General Assembly as well as its place as one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. (…)
The United States, the most significant opponent of the resolution, then argued for the P.R.C. to be admitted separately from the R.O.C., which would have allowed the R.O.C. to retain its spot. The proposal was defeated.
Applications
Rule 134
Any State which desires to become a Member of the United Nations shall submit an application to the Secretary-General. Such application shall contain a declaration, made in a formal instrument, that the State in question accepts the obligations contained in the Charter. [See introduction, para. 8]
Notification of applications
Rule 135
The Secretary-General shall, for information, send a copy of the application to the General Assembly, or to the Members of the United Nations if the Assembly is not in session. [See introduction, para. 8]
Consideration of applications and decision thereon
Rule 136
If the Security Council recommends the applicant State for membership, the General Assembly shall consider whether the applicant is a peace-loving State and is able and willing to carry out the obligations contained in the Charter and shall decide, by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, upon its application for membership.
Rule 137
If the Security Council does not recommend the applicant State for membership or postpones the consideration of the application, the General Assembly may, after full consideration of the special report of the Security Council, send the application back to the Council, together with a full record of the discussion in the Assembly, for further consideration and recommendation or report. [See introduction, para. 8]
Notification of decision and effective date of membership
Rule 138 PDF
The Secretary-General shall inform the applicant State of the decision of the General Assembly. If the application is approved, membership shall become effective on the date on which the General Assembly takes its decision on the application. [See introduction, para. 8]
Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to accept Palestine‘s membership in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) within its authority.
Only when the two-state solution is truly and comprehensively implemented can peace in the Middle East be achieved, the countries of Palestine and Israel peacefully coexist, and the Arab and Jewish nations develop together, he said.
The Chinese side calls for the convening of a larger scale, broader and more effective international peace conference, and supports Palestine to become a full member of the UN, Wang added.
Council members, including many ministers, roundly decried the unfolding humanitarian crisis and commended the ongoing pause in fighting, with some calling for the full implementation of its resolution 2712 on the crisis….
(5 hours ago)
(Today, 9:37 am)
The hostages released from Hamas captivity in Gaza last night are receiving care at hospitals throughout the country. The 12 Israelis are at Soroka Medical Center, Sheba Medical Center, Ichilov Hospital, and Schneider Children’s Hospital. The four released Thai citizens are at Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical Center.
(12 hours ago)
Raz Ben Ami (57)
Yarden Roman (36)
Liat Atzili (49)
Moran Stela Yanai (40)
Liam Or (18)
Itay Regev (18)
Ofir Engel (17)
Amit Shani (16)
Gali Tarshansky (13)
Raaya Rotem (54)
Yelena Trupanob (50)
Irena Tati (73)
4 Thai Nationals have also been released tonight.
“This type of incident proves again how much we can’t show weakness, how much we have to speak to Hamas only through intentions, only through the war,” he says, appearing to criticize the government’s ceasefire negotiations with the terror group.
“This terror attack is further proof of our obligation to continue to fight with strength and determination against murderous terrorism, which threatens our citizens. In Jerusalem, Gaza, in Judea and Samaria, and everywhere,” Gantz writes on X, using the biblical name for the West Bank.
(Today, 9:31 am)
According to police, at around 7:40 a.m. two Palestinian gunmen got out of a vehicle on Weizman Street at the main entrance to the capital and opened fire at people at a bus stop.
Police said two off-duty soldiers and an armed civilian in the area returned fire, killing the two terrorists.
The attackers were named as brothers Murad Namr, 38, and Ibrahim Namr, 30, from East Jerusalem.
According to the Shin Bet security agency, the pair were Hamas members and previously jailed for terror activity.
(November 29, 2023)
What began as a “bear hug” strategy of intense support by President Biden has become one in which U.S. officials, facing growing blowback at home and internationally, have distanced themselves from scorched-earth Israeli tactics and pushed for a more targeted battlefield approach.
For now, the U.S. effort includes pushing for an extension of the combat pause that began last week to enable the release of additional hostages held by Hamas. But although Blinken and other American officials in the region, including CIA Director William J. Burns, have advocated a longer pause, the administration continues to support the war’s eventual resumption and Israel’s overarching goal of dismantling Hamas, officials said.