Bangladesh and India Vote in Favor of Palestine at the United Nations

Darwin, September 14: Bangladesh and India have voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution supporting the “New York Declaration” for a peaceful and two-state solution to the Palestinian issue.

According to The Times of India, the resolution — introduced by France — was adopted on Friday with overwhelming support from 142 countries, including India and Bangladesh. 10 countries voted against the resolution, while 12 abstained.

All the Gulf Arab countries supported the resolution.

The countries that voted against it were: Israel, United States, Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Tonga.

Background of the Declaration

The declaration was first presented in July at a high-level international conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia at the UN headquarters in New York. The objective was to revive stalled discussions on resolving the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Condemnation of Israeli Actions

In the seven-page declaration, world leaders agreed to take collective action to end the war in Gaza and reach a just, peaceful, and lasting solution to the conflict. The document emphasizes that a two-state solution is the only viable path to resolving the conflict and building a better future for Palestinians, Israelis, and all people in the region.

The declaration condemns the October 7 Hamas attacks, which killed around 1,200 people and resulted in the kidnapping of over 250 individuals.

At the same time, it criticizes Israel’s retaliatory operations in Gaza, citing large-scale civilian casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and what it calls a “blockade and famine” leading to a humanitarian catastrophe. According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict so far, most of them women and children.

Call to End Israeli Occupation and Settlements

The declaration urges Israeli leadership to take steps toward implementing a sovereign and effective Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution.

It also calls on Israel to immediately halt violence and incitement against Palestinians, stop all settlement expansion, land confiscation, and annexation activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. The declaration particularly stresses the need to end settler violence in the West Bank.

Rejection by Israel and the US

Israel rejected the resolution outright, while the United States also opposed it.