UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution allowing to raise the flags of non-member permanent UN observer states, including Palestine, at the United Nations headquarters and offices.
The Thursday resolution states that it is "taking note of the participation of non-member Observer States, which maintain permanent observer missions at United Nations Headquarters, in the sessions and work of the General Assembly, recalling that the State of Palestine became a non-member Observer State at the United Nations on 29 November 2012."
The resolution was passed with 119 votes in favour, 45 abstaining, and eight against, including the United States, Israel, Australia and Canada.
Palestinians want to create an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, partially occupied by Israel, and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, and want Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territories it took after the Six-Day War in 1967.
Israel has been building settlements on the occupied territories, despite objection from the United Nations.
The State of Palestine is currently recognized by 135 of the 193 United Nations member-states, including Russia. The United States does not recognize Palestine as a state.
