Palestinians to raise flag at WHO for the first time after vote

The Palestinian delegation achieved the right to display their flag at the World Health Organization following a symbolic win in a vote on Monday, which their envoy believes will result in increased acknowledgment within the United Nations and elsewhere.

The initiative introduced by China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other nations at the annual meeting of the global agency in Geneva was approved with 95 votes in favor, four against – Israel, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Germany – along with 27 abstentions.

It comes after a successful Palestinian request for membership in the U.N. General Assembly last year and occurs amidst indications that France may acknowledge a Palestinian state.

In what seems to be a reference to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, Lebanon’s representative Rana el Khoury stated that the result of the vote offered “a glimmer of hope for the courageous Palestinian people whose pain has become intolerable”.

Israel opposed the WHO resolution and requested a vote. Its primary ally, the United States, intended to withdraw from the WHO, did not take part. Though nearly 150 nations have acknowledged a Palestinian state, the majority of significant Western and other powers, such as the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and Japan, have not. France and Japan supported the proposal, whereas Britain chose to abstain.

“It is symbolic and one act but a sign that we are part of an international community to help on health needs,” the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ibrahim Khraishi, told reporters. “I hope we will soon have full membership of the WHO and all U.N. forums.”

Palestinians strive for statehood in areas that Israel seized during the 1967 Middle East conflict. They hold official observer state status at the WHO, which is presently experiencing a transition as it prepares for a future without its largest donor, the United States.

Last week, Palestinians gained the right to receive alerts under the WHO’s International Health Regulations – a collection of worldwide guidelines for tracking outbreaks.