US vetoes widely supported resolution backing full UN membership for Palestine

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States vetoed a widely backed U.N. resolution Thursday that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent.

The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favor, the United States opposed and two abstentions, from the United Kingdom and Switzerland. U.S. allies France, Japan and South Korea supported the resolution.

The strong support the Palestinians received reflects not only the growing number of countries recognizing their statehood but almost certainly the global support for Palestinians facing a humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Gaza, now in its seventh month.

The resolution would have recommended that the 193-member U.N. General Assembly, where there are no vetoes, approve Palestine becoming the 194th member of the United Nations. Some 140 countries have already recognized Palestine, so its admission would have been approved, likely by a much higher number of countries.

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the Security Council that the veto “does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood but instead is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties."

The United States has “been very clear consistently that premature actions in New York — even with the best intentions — will not achieve statehood for the Palestinian people,” deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.

His voice breaking at times, Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the council after the vote: “The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will and it will not defeat our determination.”

“We will not stop in our effort,” he said. “The state of Palestine is inevitable. It is real. Perhaps they see it as far away, but we see it as near.”

This is the second Palestinian attempt for full membership and comes as the war in Gaza has put the more than 75-year-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict at center stage.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas first delivered the Palestinian Authority’s application for U.N. membership in 2011. It failed because the Palestinians didn’t get the required minimum support of nine of the Security Council’s 15 members.

They went to the General Assembly and succeeded by more than a two-thirds majority in having their status raised from a U.N. observer to a non-member observer state in 2012. That opened the door for the Palestinian territories to join U.N. and other international organizations, including the International Criminal Court.

Algerian U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama, the Arab representative on the council who introduced the resolution, called Palestine’s admission “a critical step toward rectifying a longstanding injustice" and said that “peace will come from Palestine’s inclusion, not from its exclusion.”

In explaining the U.S. veto, Wood said there are “unresolved questions” on whether Palestine meets the criteria to be considered a state. He pointed to Hamas still exerting power and influence in the Gaza Strip, which is a key part of the state envisioned by the Palestinians.

Wood stressed that the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution, where Israel and Palestine live side-by-side in peace, is the only path for security for both sides and for Israel to establish relations with all its Arab neighbors, including Saudi Arabia.

“The United States is committed to intensifying its engagement with the Palestinians and the rest of the region, not only to address the current crisis in Gaza, but to advance a political settlement that will create a path to Palestinian statehood and membership in the United Nations,” he said.

Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, reiterated the commitment to a two-state solution but asserted that Israel believes Palestine "is a permanent strategic threat."

"Israel will do its best to block the sovereignty of a Palestinian state and to make sure that the Palestinian people are exiled away from their homeland or remain under its occupation forever,” he said.

He demanded of the council and diplomats crowded in the chamber: “What will the international community do? What will you do?”

Israeli-Palestinian negotiations have been stalled for years, and Israel’s right-wing government is dominated by hard-liners who oppose Palestinian statehood.

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan called the resolution “disconnected to the reality on the ground” and warned that it “will cause only destruction for years to come and harm any chance for future dialogue.”

Six months after the Oct. 7 attack by the Hamas militant group, which controlled Gaza, and the killing of 1,200 people in “the most brutal massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” he accused the Security Council of seeking “to reward the perpetrators of these atrocities with statehood.”

Israel’s military offensive in response has killed over 32,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and destroyed much of the territory, which speaker after speaker denounced Thursday.

After the vote, Erdan thanked the United States and particularly President Joe Biden “for standing up for truth and morality in the face of hypocrisy and politics.”

He called the Palestinian Authority — which controls the West Bank and the U.S. wants to see take over Gaza where Hamas still has sway — “a terror supporting entity.”

The Israeli U.N. ambassador referred to the requirements for U.N. membership – accepting the obligations in the U.N. Charter and being a “peace-loving” state.

“How can you say seriously that the Palestinians are peace loving? How?” Erdan asked. “The Palestinians are paying terrorists, paying them to slaughter us. None of their leaders condemns terrorism, nor the Oct. 7 massacre. They call Hamas their brothers.”

Despite the Palestinian failure to meet the criteria for U.N. membership, Erdan said most council members supported it.

“It’s very sad because your vote will only embolden Palestinian rejectionism every more and make peace almost impossible,” he said.

Algeria's Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations Amar Bendjama speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour holds tears while speaking during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Representatives of member countries take votes during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour, left, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speak before a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Representatives of member countries take votes during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood votes against resolution during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Taylor Pendrith shot a 7-under 64 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead over Matt NeSmith into the weekend in the 3M Open.

Playing in windier afternoon conditions, Pendrith made a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th and tapped in for another birdie on the par-5 18th. He had a 12-under 130 total at the TPC Twin Cities, playing the first 36 holes without a bogey.

The 33-year-old Canadian won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May in Texas for his first PGA Tour title. He tied for fifth last week in the Barracuda Championship in California.

“Today was pretty tricky with the wind, it was blowing pretty hard at times, so my speed was great all day and stayed really patient," Pendrith said. “I didn’t really have many good looks through the first hour I would say of golf and was able to stay patient and make a couple, made a couple longer ones, which was nice.”

NeSmith had a 64 in the morning before wind gusts topping 20 mph hit the course in the afternoon and early evening.

Seeking his first PGA Tour victory, NeSmith lost in a playoff two weeks ago at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky, his lone top-10 finish in 20 prior starts this season. He has missed 11 cuts.

“Patience is key out here whether it be to win golf tournaments, to make cuts, to try and keep your card to try and get in the top 30,” NeSmith said. “I think it pertains to each and every person out here. You never know when you’re going to get hot, you never know when good golf’s coming. Just kind of try and be patient, try and keep calmer heads and you never know what will happen.”

First-round leader Jacob Bridgeman had a 70 to drop three strokes back at 9 under with Andrew Putnam (66). Doug Ghim (64), Lanto Griffin (66), Alex Smalley (65) and Jhonattan Vegas (66) were 8 under.

“I felt like anything under par today was pretty good, especially in the afternoon,” said Bridgeman, one of the last players to tee off Friday. “The wind was blowing really hard in the beginning of the round, caught a little bit of a lull at the end, which was nice. But greens were kind of bumpy from all the traffic. … I stayed patient all day, didn’t really have a whole lot of great chances.”

The event is the second-to-last tournament before the FedEx Cup playoffs begin, with some players near the 70-player cutoff failing to advance to the weekend. Nick Dunlap (64th in the standings), Luke List (71st) and defending champion Lee Hodges (73rd) missed the cut.

Jacob Bridgeman walks on the 10th tee during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Stewart Cink watches his tee shot on the 10th hole during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Kurt Kitayama watches his tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Lanto Griffin watches his tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Andrew Putnam watches his tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Matt NeSmith walks off the 18th green after his putt during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Matt NeSmith watches his tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Taylor Pendrith lines up his putt on the 18th green during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Taylor Pendrith putts on the 18th green during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)