NEW DELHI: The United Nations Security Council president has referred the Palestinian Authority’s (PA’s) application for Palestine to become a full member of the world body to its membership committee.
The 15-member committee is expected to decide Palestine’s status this month, said Vanessa Frazier, Malta’s UN ambassador, who also proposed that the committee meet on Monday to consider the application.

Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters in New York that the PA sincerely hoped that after 12 years as an observer state at the UN, the Security Council would “elevate itself to implementing the global consensus on the two-state solution by admitting the state of Palestine for full membership”.

Last week, the PA formally asked for renewed consideration by the Security Council of its 2011 application to become a full member of the world body. The Palestinians are a non-member observer state at the UN, the same status as the Holy See.

Security Council approval requires at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the United States, Russia, China, France or Britain.

Earlier on Monday, the Security Council met behind closed doors to discuss the letter from the PA.
Mansour told Reuters last week that the aim was for the council to decide at an April 18 ministerial meeting on the Middle East.
Israel’s UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, said recognition of a Palestinian state would be a threat to Israel’s national security.

“Granting the Palestinian statehood is not only a blatant violation of the UN Charter, it also violates the fundamental principle that everyone can understand of reaching a solution, a lasting solution, at the negotiating table,” Erdan told reporters on Monday.
“The UN has been sabotaging peace in the Middle East for years, but today marks the beginning of the point of no return,” he said.