The UN Vote and Palestinian Statehood
BY ROBERT M. DANIN, Foreign Affairs

The UN vote regarding Palestinian statehood is one of the most anticipated upcoming international law events. If Palestine attains statehood, its leverage in negotiating with Israel will be greatly enhanced because Palestine will be negotiating as an internationally recognized State instead of a provisional body or non-state entity. Moreover, statehood would provide the opportunity for Palestine to resort to legal recourse at the UN Security Council and International Court of Justice and could also allow Palestine to become a signatory of the Rome Statute, thereby allowing Palestine to gain access to the International Criminal Court. Nevertheless, such a bold move by Palestine could actually do more harm than good, as the United States, Israel, and parts of Europe do not support Palestine’s current bid for statehood.