Jakarta. The UN Security Council’s failure to make Palestine a full member of the United Nations following a veto by the US has sparked reactions from the international community, including Indonesia.

The council recently cast votes on a resolution regarding Palestine’s UN membership. As expected, the US -- a military backer and ally of Israel -- used its veto power to block the resolution from getting passed. Jakarta, which has been vocal about its Palestinian support, expressed its deep regrets over the resolution getting vetoed, although it did not directly mention the US by the country’s name in its statement. Indonesia even said the veto was a betrayal to the shared goal of lasting peace in the Middle East -- again, without referring to the US by name.

“Indonesia deeply regrets another failure by the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution on the full UN membership of the State of Palestine, due to a veto cast by one of its permanent members,” a Foreign Affairs Ministry statement reads.

Palestine has been a non-member observer to the UN since 2012. In other words, it can speak at the UN General Assembly meetings, but cannot vote on resolutions, especially those related to the Gaza conflict. Indonesia said that the progress towards Palestine getting a seat at the UN had stalled, despite overwhelming support by most of its members.

“This veto once again betrayed the shared aspiration to build lasting peace in the Middle East,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry stated.

“Indonesia reiterates its full support towards Palestine’s full UN membership, which would give the State of Palestine a deserved seat among nations and equal standing in the peace process towards a two-state solution,” the statement continues.

The two-state solution is the plan to create a Palestinian state separate from the state of Israel.

In the recent UN Security Council vote, the US vetoed a resolution that would recommend Palestine’s membership to the UN. The UK and Switzerland abstained, while the remaining 12 members were in favor. The resolution could only pass if it gained 9 votes in favor and no vetoes. If the resolution did pass, Palestine would then need a two-thirds majority vote of the 193-member UN General Assembly before it can become a full member. 

The UN Security Council encompasses 15 members: five permanent and 10 non-permanent. All permanent members --the US, the UK, China, France, and Russia-- have the power to veto a resolution. 

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