‘An absolute disgrace’: Senate Republicans condemn Palestinian Authority’s UN bid to undermine Israel

FIRST ON FOX: Senate Republicans condemned a forthcoming United Nations General Assembly vote that, if successful, would label the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) posture in Gaza and the West Bank as an “unlawful presence” and demand that the country leave the territories within six months. 

“This proposal introduced by the Palestinian delegation, ahead of the United Nations’ General Assembly, is an absolute disgrace that rewards terrorism. It is a clear insult to the Jewish people and anyone who understands history,” Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in a statement that was signed onto by 28 other Republicans. 

Signers included Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member James Risch, R-Idaho, and Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism Co-Chair James Lankford, R-Okla. 

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Sen. Rubio led dozens of Senate Republicans in condemning the upcoming UN vote on a resolution from the Palestinian Authority. (Reuters)

A draft of the proposal by the Palestinian Authority reportedly cited the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and its nonbinding opinion issued in July, which declared that Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories as well as its actions were in violation of international law, per the Associated Press. 

A UN General Assembly vote is expected on the resolution on Wednesday, according to reports. 

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Israeli soldiers take up position next to buildings destroyed by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024.  (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

“As we approach the one-year anniversary of the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas and affiliated Palestinian terrorist groups against innocent Israeli civilians, which involved murder, mutilation, and sexual violence, the international community must unequivocally unite against this evil, one-sided effort to delegitimize Israel,” the Senate GOP statement said.

Oct. 7, 2024 will mark one year since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel that left about 1,200 dead and hundreds taken to Gaza as hostages. 

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Israeli tanks maneuver near the Israel-Gaza border on July 4. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)

Since then, Israeli and Hamas forces have continued to fire on one another, and the former has launched several targeted strikes against targets as well as hostage recovery missions. Attempts by the U.S. and neighboring Middle Eastern countries to facilitate a ceasefire agreement have yet to result in an end to the war. 

“Instead of proposing biased and counter-productive initiatives, which will do nothing to advance a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, the international community must focus its energy and resources on ensuring Hamas and other terrorist groups are completely destroyed,” the GOP statement continued. “We must remain firm to ensure every single hostage held by these terrorists is safely returned to their loved ones.”

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Israeli hostage families carry the photos of their loved ones who are held hostage by Hamas in Gaza as they march to Jerusalem. (Matan Golan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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If the proposal passes the UN General Assembly, which consists of 193 members, it would not be legally binding or have any enforcement mechanism. However, it would reflect global opinion regarding the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. 

There are no vetoes during a General Assembly vote, further differentiating it from one in the 15-member UN Security Council.