TEHRAN – The United Nations overwhelmingly condemns the ongoing Israeli occupation of Arab lands amid opposition by the U.S. and a few of its allies.

The UN General Assembly delivered a resounding diplomatic setback to the Israeli occupation regime, adopting two major resolutions that underscored the international community’s near-unanimous rejection of its continued violations of international law in Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan.

In the first resolution, “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine,” an overwhelming 151 Member States voted in favor, while only 11, led by the United States, opposed the measure. Eleven abstained. 

The scale of support reflected global impatience with the regime’s ongoing defiance of international norms and its entrenched occupation policies.

The resolution renewed demands for urgent, coordinated diplomatic efforts to revive credible negotiations on all final status issues. It called for the timely convening of an international peace conference in Moscow, as originally envisioned by Security Council resolution 1850 passed in 2008.

Member States stressed that only a genuinely inclusive process can deliver a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace.

At the heart of the resolution was the Assembly’s insistence that the regime meet its international law obligations. 

States demanded an end to the regime’s unlawful presence in occupied Palestinian territories, a complete halt to illegal settlement construction, and the evacuation of all settlers. Delegations emphasized that such settlements are a primary driver of instability and a clear breach of international humanitarian law.

The Assembly also rejected any attempt by the Zionist regime to alter Gaza’s demographic or territorial status. It reaffirmed the principle that Gaza must be reconnected with the West Bank. 

Member States further reiterated the need for withdrawal from all Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, the realization of the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights, particularly the right to self-determination. The resolution also called for just resolution for Palestinian refugees scattered across the region and have a right to return home enshrined under international law. 

The second resolution, “The Syrian Golan,” again highlighted the global consensus against territorial acquisition by force. It passed with 123 votes in favor, just 7 against: the United States, the Israeli occupation regime, and a handful of Pacific island states. The vote once more illustrated how isolated the regime and its closest backers remain on questions of occupation and international legality.

The resolution declared the regime’s 1981 attempt to impose its laws and administrative control over the occupied Syrian Golan null and void, calling for its immediate rescission. 

Member States pressed the regime to resume negotiations on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks and to honor previous commitments made in earlier rounds of talks. The Assembly reiterated its demand for full withdrawal from the Golan, occupied since 1967.

Taken together, the two votes showcased the depth of international opposition to the Israeli regime’s continued defiance of international law. 

While Washington and a small circle of allies stood firmly in opposition, the overwhelming majority of the world signaled that the current trajectory is untenable, and that durable peace requires an end to occupation, respect for international law, and genuine political negotiation.

This is something the Zionist regime has failed to uphold for decades but especially the current coalition that seeks to expand a “Greater Israel” project at the expense of regional insecurity.