Palestinian leader Abbas stated that he would reconsider relations with the US after Washington rejected a resolution recognizing Palestine as a full member of the UN.

“While the world agrees to uphold international law and stand for Palestinian rights, the US continues to support occupation, refusing to compel Israel to end its genocidal campaign. They provide Israel with weapons, funds to kill our children, destroy our homes, while opposing Palestine in international forums,” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview on April 20.

He noted that Palestine would “reconsider bilateral relations with the US to ensure the interests of the people, the cause, and the rights of this country are protected.” “The US has violated all international laws, renounced all promises related to the two-state solution, and efforts to achieve peace in the region,” the Palestinian President accused.

The US government has not commented on the information.

Mr. Abbas made a statement after the U.S. on April 18th used its veto power to reject a draft resolution calling for the recognition of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations (UN) when the document was put to a vote at the Security Council (SC). Switzerland abstained, while 12 out of 15 remaining members of the SC supported it.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, then stated that the country “continues to strongly support the two-state solution”, but emphasized that Washington still maintains the viewpoint that the UN is not the place to recognize the state of Palestine. Recognition must be the result of a peace agreement with Israel, according to Mr. Wood.

President Abbas criticized the U.S. move as “unfair, unethical, and unjust”, while Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz welcomed the U.S. action.

The UN General Assembly granted observer status to Palestine in 2012. To be recognized as a full member, Palestine first needs to receive at least 9 votes of support from SC members and no veto from any permanent members, including the U.S., Russia, France, the UK, China. The Abbas government then needs to continue to garner support from two-thirds of the members of the UN General Assembly.

Palestine severed all ties with the U.S. in January 2020 after rejecting the Middle East peace plan proposed by the then U.S. President, Donald Trump. The plan proposed the establishment of a non-military Palestinian state, excluding settlements built by Israelis in the occupied territories.

Mr. Trump had previously taken several actions that displeased Palestine, such as recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, moving the U.S. embassy to the city, and cutting off all aid to Palestine.

After President Joe Biden took office, he restored relations with President Abbas’s government and resumed aid to Palestine. However, officials in the country believe that Biden needs to do more to revive the peace process in the region.

Mr. Abbas asserted in October 2022 that Palestine “does not trust the U.S.” and “does not accept Washington as the sole party to solve the problem”.