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00:00 This is certainly a boost for the Palestinians because it shows a flood of international
00:03 support for them. The resolution essentially upgrades their rights here at the United Nations
00:08 but it doesn't give them full UN membership. The US vetoed that initiative last month in
00:13 the UN Security Council. So this General Assembly resolution determines that a state of Palestine
00:20 is qualified for membership. And it gives the Palestinians the right to propose agenda
00:24 items, to speak in debates and to speak on all issues, not just those related to the
00:29 Palestinians. It also gives them the right to be elected as officers in the Assembly's
00:33 main committees. It does not, however, give them the right to vote here at the UN. So
00:38 essentially it's symbolic. Well, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour was almost moved
00:43 to tears as he spoke on the podium in the General Assembly Hall on Friday. He said that
00:47 there had never been a more significant vote. The United States, Israel's ally here at the
00:53 UN, was one of the nine countries that voted against this resolution. The US argues that
00:59 pushing for Palestinian membership here at the United Nations is not helpful because
01:03 a two-state solution should be broken through negotiations, direct negotiations between
01:07 the Israelis and the Palestinians. Now, Israel's ambassador was furious about this vote. He
01:13 accused the UN of inviting modern-day Nazis into its fold and said that Churchill would
01:17 be turning in his grave. The Israelis are well known for using props here at the UN
01:22 when they speak. And Gilad Erdan brought along a mini wireless shredder to shred the UN
01:28 charter to show his opposition. Now, one question that remains is how this vote is going to
01:33 impact US funding to the UN. Washington can't actually fund any UN organisation that grants
01:37 full membership to the Palestinians. The US cut funding to UNESCO back in 2011 after the
01:43 Palestinians joined as a full member. Yet this GA resolution doesn't actually give full
01:47 membership to the Palestinians. However, a group of Republican senators has now introduced
01:51 this bill to tighten those restrictions and to cut off funding to any entity giving rights
01:57 and privileges to the Palestinians. That bill is, however, not likely to pass in the
02:03 Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats.