The United Nations passed a resolution that allowed for the raising of the flag of Palestine at its New York City headquarters on Thursday.
The resolution allows Palestine and the Holy See, both with non-member observer status, to hoist their flags alongside those of member states.
According to the official UN press release, 119 nations voted in favor of the resolution, 8 voted against, with 45 abstentions.
Israel and the United States were among the nations that voted against the resolution.
Ryan Mansour, the Palestinian permanent observer at the UN, called the resolution “a historic vote,” and said that while raising the flag would not end the occupation, it is “another step to solidify the pillars of the state of Palestine in the international arena.”
However, Israel’s representative, Ron Prosor, expressed strong opposition to the resolution, calling it a photo opportunity, and criticized the move as “a blatant attempt to hijack the UN.”
Among the 45 nations that abstained from voting included most of the 28-nation European Union, according to the Guardian.
While the resolution does not grant Palestine full member status, it does serve as a symbolic stepping-stone in Palestine’s continued pursuit for international sovereign recognition.
“It’s a step to the recognition of Palestine as a full member state of the United Nations,” Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah said to reporters in Paris earlier this week.
Following the passage of the resolution, the UN has 20 days to implement the move, just in time for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s visit on Sept. 30.