Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, abruptly left Thursday’s discussion at the UN Security Council on the resolution to accept the Palestinian Authority as a full member state.
The resolution was ultimately not adopted after the US vetoed it.
“You refuse to even condemn, you refuse to listen, you refuse to act, you even refuse to check the facts. So today, I won’t try to fix what is already broken,” Erdan said at the Council.
“Speaking to this Council is like speaking to a brick wall. I pray that the day will come when you will understand the magnitude of the mistake that you are making here. I pray that you will understand before it’s too late,” the Ambassador added before leaving.
The US had announced even before the vote that it opposes the measure and would exercise its veto power against it.
The PA, which was accepted as a non-member observer state in the UN in 2012, recently revived its UN membership application, prompting the Security Council to launch a formal review process.
The Security Council committee considering the application said on Tuesday it "was unable to make a unanimous recommendation" on whether the PA met the criteria. The PA nevertheless moved forward with Thursday’s vote.