The Palestinian Authority delegation won a formal vote at the World Health Organization’s World Health Assembly in Geneva on Monday permitting them to fly the Palestinian flag at the global agency, according to a report on Monday.
The vote passed with 95 in favor and four against, according to Reuters. Israel, Hungary, Czech Republic and Germany opposed the proposal and 27 countries abstained—including the United States which is currently in the process of exiting the WHO and has withdrawn its donations from the international body.
Israel argued against the WHO resolution and called for a vote, according to the report.
France, which has recently stated its “determination” to recognize a Palestinian state, voted in support of the resolution, as did Japan, while the United Kingdom abstained.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not replied to a request for comment by time of publication.
The proposal, submitted by China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and others, follows the U.N. General Assembly resolution earlier in May that granted “Palestine” unprecedented rights for a non-member observer state.
A 2012 General Assembly vote granted “Palestine” non-member observer status.
Palestinian Authority Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Ibrahim Khraishi was quoted by Reuters on Monday as saying, “It is symbolic and one act but a sign that we are part of an international community to help on health needs. I hope we will soon have full membership of the WHO and all U.N. forums.”
Palestine, which has official observer-state status at the WHO, last week won the right to receive notifications under the WHO’s International Health Regulations, according to Reuters. These are a code of global rules for monitoring outbreaks of diseases.
