Palestine's UN membership bid has global support
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Palestine's UN bid has global support
Palestine's bid for UN membership has strong support among people worldwide but many are unsure whether their government should back an upcoming resolution, a BBC poll shows.
Just under half of the 20,446 people interviewed across 19 countries between July 3 and August 29 say their government should vote for membership, while 21 per cent hope their leaders will block the move. Thirty per cent are undecided.
A clear majority of the public in nine countries support the resolution, with the strongest backing coming from the Muslim world, the BBC World Service-commissioned survey shows.
Ninety per cent of Egyptians quizzed want their government to vote in favour, while 60 per cent of Turks, 52 per cent of Pakistanis and 51 per cent of Indonesians support the controversial Palestinian bid.
President Mahmoud Abbas has promised Palestinians he will seek UN membership from the Security Council next Friday, despite stiff opposition from Israel and the United States, who say only direct negotiations can resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Washington, Israel's main ally, has already announced it will use its veto to block the Palestinian bid in the Security Council.
US citizens expressed the strongest opposition, with 36 per cent against, while 25 per cent of Indians are opposed to the move.
Public opinion across the European Union was similar, with just over half of those polled in France, Germany and Britain backing the bid.
'If countries' citizens had a vote at the UN, the poll suggests that Palestine would receive official UN recognition,' GlobeScan Chairman Doug Miller says.
'However, with many people undecided or opposed, domestic repercussions are unlikely if their governments choose to vote against recognition.'