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The United Nations has voted to update the status Palestine a non-member observer state. The historic vote took place Thursday a packed session at the U.N. headquarters. More than two-thirds the 193 member states were needed to approve the motion Palestine to be recognized. It was passed 138-9 41 abstentions. Many European countries, Russia, China, India and Brazil voted favour recognizing the Palestinians. The USA, Canada and Israel were those voting against, while Germany, Britain, Australia and Colombia abstained. The vote came 65 years the day that the U.N. adopted a resolution recommending the partition Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states. Israel dismissed the vote "negative political theatre" and announced the building 3,000 new homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Celebrations broke across the West Bank as news of the vote came . The fact that the U.N. has implicitly recognized Palestine's sovereignty was greeted a major diplomatic victory. Veteran Palestinian peace negotiator Hannan Ashrawi told reporters what the recognition meant Palestine: "Getting state status is what empowers the Palestinians, what defines our territory as occupied, what defines our relationships regionally and the rest of the world," she said. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said he hoped the U.N. vote would "breathe new life [peace] negotiations" with Israel. He said it was "the last chance to save the two-state solution". Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu said: "The resolution…won't change anything the ground. It won't advance the establishment a Palestinian state, but rather, put it further ."