The US opposes Palestinian membership in the UN, but supports the creation of an independent state

The United States has declared that it supports the creation of an independent Palestinian state, but this issue should be resolved through direct negotiations, not membership in the United Nations.

This was stated by the spokesman of the US State Department Matthew Miller at a briefing.

"Although we support the creation of an independent Palestinian state, creating a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel must be done through direct negotiations between the parties — which is what we are trying to achieve now — and not through the UN," says Miller.

According to him, in recent months, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken took an active part in diplomatic negotiations regarding the creation of security guarantees for Israel within the framework of the establishment of a Palestinian state.

On Tuesday, the Palestinian Authority asked for a reconsideration of its 2011 bid to join the United Nations. The request must be approved by the 15-member UN Security Council.

When asked whether the US will use its right of veto in the UN Security Council to block the entry of Palestine, Miller did not give an unequivocal answer.

"Iʼm not going to speculate on what might happen in the future," he said.

• Active hostilities between Israel and Hamas have been ongoing since October 7, 2023, when militants of the Islamist group launched a massive rocket attack on the southern and central regions of Israel, invaded the countryʼs territory, killed hundreds of civilians and took hostages. More than 130 people are currently being held captive by Hamas — most of them Israelis, but there are also foreigners. In February, Israel confirmed the death of 31 of the 136 hostages held by Hamas.
• Palestine is asking for a reconsideration of UN membership now that almost half a year has passed since the escalation of the conflict, and Israel is increasing its presence in the occupied West Bank.
• On March 25, the UN Security Council voted for the first time in favor of a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and the release of all hostages.