UN recognizes Palestinian state

The UN General Assembly agreed to give the Palestinians status as a non-member observer state, a move strongly opposed by Israel and the U.S..Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the assembly before the vote was "the last chance to save the two-state solution" with Israel.

Israeli UN delegation said it was making the peace process "backwards", while the U.S. said the decision was "unfortunate."

'Birth certificate'

"Sixty-five years ago today, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 181, which separates the land of historic Palestine into two states, and a birth certificate for Israel," Abbas said before the vote takes place.

"The General Assembly today called upon to issue a birth certificate for the establishment of the Palestinian state," he said

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, said "the only way to achieve peace is through agreement" between the two sides, not the United Nations.

"There is no UN decision to destroy the bond between the people of Israel 4,000 years and the land of Israel," Prosor said.

Opponents say the ruling Palestinian state should be generated through bilateral negotiations, as stipulated in the 1993 Oslo peace agreement that established the Palestinian Authority

Speaking after the vote, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, urged Palestinians and Israel for the return of peace talks and warned both countries to refrain from unilateral actions.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the decision "unfortunate and counter-productive," and said it actually gives more obstacles in the way of peace.

"By coming to the UN, the Palestinians have violated an agreement with Israel, and Israel will act according to the rules," the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu via Twitter.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also called for talks between the two countries and said the resolution down the importance of the Palestinians and Israelis resume peace negotiations.

Britain abstained from the vote, as well as Germany. Marshall Islands and Panama were among the countries that voted the same as Israel and the U.S..

In the West Bank, residents celebrated the results of the UN flag and bertakbir.

"For the first time, there will be no country called Palestine, which is recognized by the whole world," said Amir Hamdan told the Associated Press.

"Today the world will hear our voice," he added.