Real News:' U.N. Set to Vote on Upgrading Status of Palestine

The 193 members of the U.N. General Assembly will vote whether or not to upgrade the status of Palestine from an observer entity to a non-voting observer state Thursday. The vote would effectively recognize statehood for Palestine across the international community. The vast majority of nations in the General Assembly are expected to be voting ‘yes,’ and there is no veto. The only certain ‘no’ votes thus far will come from the U.S., Israel and Germany, and the Palestinian Authority is expected to get strong support from Europe, including a likely yes vote from Great Britain.

The vote comes just over a week after the violent Gaza conflict with Israel came to a ceasefire, the same month as the U.S. presidential election and a little over a month before Israeli elections. The U.N. thinks (collectively) the vote will facilitate a two state solution, but with tensions still on high, could it instead lead to more instability in the region and further jeopardize Israeli safety? Watch the "Real News" panel discuss the upcoming vote: