Foreign Minister welcomes UN majority support for Palestine‘s status as Non-Member Observer State

Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson welcomes the outcome of the vote of the United Nations General Assembly on 29 November where a great majority agreed to Palestine becoming a non-member observer state.

The Foreign Minister belives that the vote marks a turning point. Israel and Palestine must sit down at the negotiation table as soon as possible and the UN Security Council has to listen to the message coming from the General Assembly and overwhelming majority of UN member states.

138 states voted for Palestine becoming a non-member observer state, 41 state abstained and 9 voted against. Iceland was co-sponsor to the resolution. The Foreign Minister paid particular attention to the fact  that the majority of European states voted for the resolution and that all the Nordic states were joined in their support for Palestine.

Iceland recognized the sovereignty and independence of Palestine on 15 December 2011 following the decision by Althingi on 29 November 2011to recognize Palestine.