US opposes Palestine's bid to become UN member state

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) – The US on Wednesday opposed Palestine's bid to become a full UN member state, saying a Palestinian state should be established through negotiations rather than at the UN.

"We have always made clear that we…support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, adding that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been engaging in "very intensive diplomacy" over the past few months to establish a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.

"That is something that should be done through direct negotiations through the parties, something we are pursuing at this time and not the United Nations," he added.

Palestine sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres requesting renewed consideration of its membership application.

Palestine also submitted a bid to become a full UN member in 2011 but failed to secure the required support of Security Council members.

However, the question then went to the UN's General Assembly, where it was backed by more than two-thirds of the members, which allowed it to gain observer state status in 2012.