The UN, the Palestinians, Israel, and Stalled Two-State Solution

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United Nations: Since the United Nations voted to partition Palestine in 1947, the organization has been deeply intertwined with the Palestinian cause. As it meets again this week, hopes are being renewed if cautiously for reviving the long-stalled two-state solution.

Here is a timeline of the UN’s involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

1947 Partition

In November 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, dividing Palestine—then under British mandate into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem designated as an international city.

Zionist leaders accepted the resolution, but Arab states and Palestinians rejected it. Israel declared independence in May 1948, triggering the first Arab-Israeli war, which Israel decisively won.

Approximately 760,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled during the conflict an event known as the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” which the UN officially commemorated for the first time in May 2023.

Call for Self-Determination

Following the 1967 Six-Day War, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 242, calling for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories, including the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. However, ambiguities in the resolution’s language—especially between its English and French versions—led to long-standing disputes over its interpretation.

In November 1974, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat addressed the UN General Assembly for the first time, famously declaring he carried “an olive branch and a freedom fighter’s gun.” Shortly thereafter, the Assembly recognized the Palestinian right to self-determination and granted the PLO observer status.

Oslo Accords: Outside the UN

One of the most significant peace efforts came not from the UN but through secret talks in Oslo. In 1993, Israel and the PLO signed a “Declaration of Principles” on Palestinian autonomy. A year later, Arafat returned from exile to establish the Palestinian Authority, which took administrative control of parts of the West Bank and Gaza.

The US Role and Veto Power

US support for Israel has shaped many Security Council outcomes. Since 1972, Washington has vetoed more than 30 resolutions seen as unfavorable to Israel. Yet, at times, it has allowed key measures to pass.

In 2002, the Council passed Resolution 1397—at U.S. initiative—formally endorsing the vision of a two-state solution. In 2016, the U.S. abstained from voting, allowing a resolution to pass that condemned Israeli settlement construction in the occupied territories—its first such measure since 1979.

In March 2024, amid Israel’s offensive in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 attacks, the U.S. again abstained, enabling the Council to demand an immediate ceasefire—after previously blocking three similar proposals.

A Push for Recognition

In 2011, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas launched a bid for full UN membership. The initiative stalled under U.S. opposition before reaching a Security Council vote.

In 2012, the General Assembly granted Palestine non-member observer state status. In April 2024, the Palestinians renewed their membership request, but the U.S. vetoed it again—despite expectations of overwhelming support in the General Assembly had it passed the Council.

To date, 142 of the UN’s 193 member states recognize Palestine as a state, according to AFP data. In a symbolic gesture, the Assembly granted Palestinians new privileges in 2024, including seating in the alphabetical order of states and the right to submit resolutions independently for the first time.