The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly in favour of full Palestinian membership of the UN.
The resolution, which recognises that Palestine is qualified for full membership of the UN and recommends the Security Council "reconsider the matter favourably", received 143 votes in favour, 9 against and 25 abstentions.
It will also give the Palestinians enhanced rights and privileges to take part in UN debates, although not the right to vote.
Speaking ahead of the voting, the Palestinian representative to the UN Riyad Mansour told the General Assembly that today's vote was "historic".
"A 'yes’ vote is a vote for Palestinian existence," he said.
"It is not against any state, but it is against the attempt to deprive us of our state," he said.
"Voting yes, is the right thing to do and I can assure you and your country for years to come will be proud to have stood for freedom, justice and peace in this darkest hour," he told delegates.
But in his remarks ahead of the vote, the Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan called the UN a "shameless body" that was "welcoming a terror state into its ranks".
Closing his speech, the Israeli ambassador produced a small shredding machine at the podium and proceeded to shred pages of the UN Charter, which he accused delegates of violating with their vote today.
In a statement following today's vote, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said it is time for Palestine to take "its rightful place amongst the nations of the world."
Mr Martin said he was proud that Ireland played a "leadership role" in the the vote.
He said: "I welcome that the United Nations General Assembly has passed the tesolution on Palestine's membership of the UN by an overwhelming majority, with 143 states voting in favour - more than 80% of UN members voting.
"I am proud that Ireland took a leadership role in co-sponsoring the resolution, and voting in favour.
"The international community must state unequivocally that it is time for concrete, irreversible actions to underpin the equal right to security, dignity and self-determination for both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. Collectively, we made that statement today.
"I am under no illusion as to the challenge that converting this resolution into reality will entail.
"There is a long road ahead. But in today's vote we have heard the voice of the world say unambiguously that it is time for Palestine to take its rightful place amongst the nations of the world."
US funding
The Israeli ambassador said on Monday that, if the measure was approved, he expected the US to cut funding to the UN and its institutions, in accordance with American law.
An application to become a full UN member first needs to be approved by the 15-member Security Council and then the General Assembly.
If the measure is again voted on by the council it is likely to face the same fate: a US veto.
Under US law, the United States cannot fund any UN organisation that grants full membership to any group that does not have the "internationally recognised attributes" of statehood.
The United States cut funding in 2011 for the UN cultural agency, UNESCO, after the Palestinians joined as a full member.
Yesterday, 25 US Republican senators - more than half of the party's members in the chamber - introduced a bill to tighten those restrictions and cut off funding to any entity giving rights and privileges to the Palestinians.
The bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, which is controlled by President Joe Biden's Democrats.
"The council must respond to the will of the international community," United Arab Emirates UN Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab told the assembly before the vote.
The General Assembly resolution adopted today does give the Palestinians some additional rights and privileges from September 2024 - like a seat among the UN members in the assembly hall - but they will not be granted a vote in the body.
The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the UN General Assembly in 2012.
Read more: Why the UN vote on Palestinian membership is a big deal
The Palestinian UN mission in New York said yesterday - in a letter to UN member states - that adoption of the draft resolution backing full UN membership would be an investment in preserving the long-sought-for two-state solution.
It said it would "constitute a clear reaffirmation of support at this very critical moment for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State".
The mission is run by the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank.
Hamas ousted the Palestinian Authority from power in Gaza in 2007. Hamas - which has a charter calling for Israel's destruction - launched the 7 October attack on Israel that triggered Israel's assault on Gaza.
The United Nations has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognised borders.
Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza, all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war with neighboring Arab states.
The US mission to the United Nations said earlier this week: "It remains the US view that the path toward statehood for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations."
Additional reporting: Reuters
