YEMEN: Yemenis celebrate after the U.N. approves de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine

Record ID: 213814

  • Title: YEMEN: Yemenis celebrate after the U.N. approves de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine
  • Date: 30th November 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF WOMEN PROTESTERS SEATED, SOME WITH 'HAMAS' SIGNS ON THEIR HEADS
  • Embargoed: 15th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Yemen
  • Country: Yemen
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2ISR02I1ZO0W3DF9KQA6QSJ98
  • Story Text: Crowds of Yemenis rallied after prayers on Friday (November 30) to mark the Palestinians' success at the United Nations.
    The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the world body to issue its long overdue "birth certificate".
    There were 138 votes in favour, nine against and 41 abstentions. Three countries did not take part in the vote, held on the 65th anniversary of the adoption of U.N. resolution 181 that partitioned Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states.
    Yemenis said Thursday's vote was a historic occasion.
    "The international community has realised that it is of the right of the Palestinian people to establish a state besides the Zionist entity, which still underestimates the Palestinian people and underestimates this resolution. But I am sure that the Palestinian people will follow the right track politically and that the Arab Spring people and the revolutionary Arab people will really support them," said protester Hamzah al-Kamali.
    The much-anticipated vote came after Abbas denounced Israel from the U.N. podium for its "aggressive policies and the perpetration of war crimes," remarks that elicited a furious response from the Jewish state.
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded quickly, condemning Abbas' critique of Israel as "hostile and poisonous," and full of "false propaganda".
    In Yemen, supporters said the U.N. vote was a major step forwards for the Palestinians.
    "It is a great step that Palestine has been accepted at the United Nations and I consider this to be the beginning of victory in kicking the Israeli settlements out of Palestine and Palestine establishing its capital in Jerusalem," said protester Samer al-Badri.
    The U.N. victory for the Palestinians was a diplomatic setback for the United States and Israel, which were joined by only a handful of countries in voting against the move to upgrade the Palestinian Authority's observer status at the United Nations to "non-member state" from "entity," like the Vatican.
    The assembly approved the upgrade despite threats by the United States and Israel to punish the Palestinians by withholding funds for the West Bank government. U.N. envoys said Israel might not retaliate harshly against the Palestinians over the vote as long as they do not seek to join the International Criminal Court.
    One protester in Yemen said the Palestinians had managed to overcome powerful opposition in the Thursday vote.
    "The resolution is a great step forwards and a victory for our brothers the Palestinians who are on their way, God willing, towards establishing a modern state, despite the great opposition from the big states such as America and other allies of Israel," said Abbas al-Sharafi.
    A number of Western delegations noted that Thursday's vote should not be interpreted as formal legal recognition of a Palestinian state. Formal recognition of statehood is something that is done bilaterally, not by the United Nations.
    Granting Palestinians the title of "non-member observer state" falls short of full U.N. membership - something the Palestinians failed to achieve last year. But it does have important legal implications, as it would allow them access to the ICC and other international bodies, should they choose to join.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
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