Palestinian state bid passes to Security Council

The UN Security Council was due to take its first step to consider the Palestinian request for UN membership yesterday.

The council was set to meet for a discussion of the application submitted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to become the 194th member of the United Nations.

Israel and the US oppose the move and consider it a step back from long-stalled peace talks, and the US has said it will veto a resolution recommending membership. Even so, diplomats said the council was moving ahead, as it does with all applications it receives. The Palestinians have demanded that there be no politically motivated delays. AP