Palestine and the United Nations

The aim of this dissertation is to assess the consequences that the successful Palestinian bid for statehood at the United Nations Education and Science Organization (UNESCO) and in the United Nations General Assembly will have on the dynamics of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The focus of the analysis is on the role played by the United Nations in past episodes and on the consequences of the bid in a broader strategic framework, drawing considerations on a political and legal level. The first part of this work reviews United Nations resolutions, debates and reprimands from an historical point of view. In the second part, the bid at the United Nations is analyzed in detail. The third part deals with one of the most delicate issues related to the aftermath of the recognition: the possible jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. The fourth part provides a legal analysis comparing the Palestinian case with other episodes of contested statehood. The final part analyses several opinions on the different paths the peace process and the conflict could take.