UN de facto recognition of Palestine proved Israel’s illegitimacy: Iranian official

TEHRAN,Dec.2(MNA) - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Saturday that the recognition of Palestine as an observer state of the United Nations proved the illegitimacy of Israel. The 193-member UN body voted 138 to 9, with 41 abstentions, to recognize Palestine as a “non-member observer state” on Thursday. In an interview with the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency, Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran regards the achievement as a step forward in the process of granting full sovereignty to the Palestinians. He also said that the move will facilitate the return of the Palestinians to their homeland and help them continue their resistance against the “illegitimate” Zionist regime. The decision, which was made after the victory of the people of Gaza in the recent eight-day war against Israel, illustrates the international community’s attention to the rights of the Palestinians, Amir-Abdollahian added.