In an overwhelming majority vote, the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution to provide new “rights and privileges” to a Palestinian state and push the Security Council to reconsider their admission as the 194th member of the U.N. The vote does not guarantee membership.

143 countries supported the resolution, nine voted against it, and 25 abstained

9 countries voted against the resolution:

• 🇦🇷 Argentina
• 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
• 🇧🇬 Hungary
• 🇮🇱 Israel
• 🇫🇲 Micronesia
• 🇳🇷 Nauru
• 🇺🇸 United States
• 🇵🇼 Palau
• 🇵🇬 Papa New Guinea.

25 countries abstained from voting:

Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Fiji, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vanuatu.

According to U.N. procedure, the Security Council must recommend a member to the General Assembly for final approval via a two-thirds majority vote. Unlike the Security Council, General Assembly members do not have the same veto power. Given over 140 U.N. member states recognize a Palestinian state, including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the vote was expected to pass by a large majority.

In April, the United States, which sits on the 15-member Security Council, vetoed a majority-supported resolution that pushed for Palestine’s membership. As one of five permanent members of the Security Council, the U.S.’s veto can shut down a resolution.