Since Israel joined the United Nations, particular resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly have played a role in shaping Israel and relations in our region.
Below is a list and brief summary of important and historic resolutions concerning Israel. For the full texts of these resolutions, please visit the Official Document System of the United Nations.
General Assembly Resolution 181
General Assembly Resolution 194
General Assembly Resolution 273
Security Council Resolution 242
Security Council Resolution 338
Security Council Resolution 425
General Assembly Resolution 46/86
Security Council Resolution 1559
General Assembly Resolution 60/7, “Holocaust Remembrance”
Security Council Resolution 1701
General Assembly Resolution 61/255, “Holocaust denial”
General Assembly Resolution 62/190, “Agricultural technology for development”
Security Council Resolution 1850
Security Council Resolution 1860
General Assembly Resolution 181
29 November 1947
General Assembly Resolution 181 endorsed the partition of then-British Mandate Palestine to create two states: one Jewish, one Arab. The Jewish Agency accepted the General Assembly’s recommendation while Israel’s neighbors rejected partition and launched a war of annihilation against the embryonic Jewish State.
General Assembly Resolution 194
11 December 1948
General Assembly Resolution 194 states that “refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date.” In 1993 under the auspices of the Oslo peace process, the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements explicitly stated that “negotiations shall cover remaining issues, including…refugees…” As such, the issue of refugees, including nearly 1 million Jewish persons who fled or were forced from countries in the region, should be addressed in any permanent peace settlement.
General Assembly Resolution 273
11 May 1949
General Assembly Resolution 273 welcomed the State of Israel as a full member of the United Nations. The resolution states: “Israel is a peace-loving State and is able and willing to carry out the obligations contained in the Charter [of the United Nations].” Resolution 273 signified Israel’s acceptance into the community of nations.
Security Council Resolution 242
22 November 1967
Following the Six-Day War in June 1967, the General Assembly took up the situation in the Middle East and referred it to the Security Council. After lengthy discussions, British Ambassador Lord Caradon presented a draft text on 22 November 1967 to restore peace and calm in the region. To this day, Security Council Resolution 242 remains one of the foundation principles of peace negotiations between Israel and its neighbors.
Security Council Resolution 338
22 October 1973
In the later stages of the Yom Kippur War –– after Israel repulsed Syrian attacks on the Golan Heights and established a bridgehead on the Egyptian side of the Suez Canal ––international efforts to stop the fighting intensified. US Secretary of State Kissinger flew to Moscow on 20 October 1973, and, together with the Soviet Government, the United States proposed a cease-fire resolution in the UN Security Council. The Council met on 21 October at the urgent request of both the US and the USSR. Security Council Resolution 338 –– along with Resolution 242 –– is considered another bedrock principle of peace negotiations.
Security Council Resolution 425
19 March 1978
Following the 11 March 1978 terrorist attack against two Israeli buses near Tel-Aviv, killing 37 Israelis and injuring 76, the Israeli Defense Forces entered southern Lebanon in order to dismantle Palestine Liberation Organization terrorist bases and staging areas south of the Litani River. When Operation Litani began, the United States began to seek a suitable formula to send a United Nations peacekeeping force to the area held by Israel so that an Israeli withdrawal could take place and a buffer zone established. Security Council Resolution 425 called on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon and for the establishment of a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
General Assembly Resolution 46/86
16 December 1991
On 16 December 1991, the United Nations General Assembly repealed its infamous 1975 resolution (resolution 3379) which declared that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination…[and] is a threat to world peace and security.” Former Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted that resolution 3379 was “the low point in Jewish-U.N. relations” and its repeal signified the closure of a difficult period in Israel-UN relations.
Security Council Resolution 1559
2 September 2004
UN Security Council Resolution 1559 calls upon Lebanon to establish its sovereignty over all of its land and for “foreign forces” to withdraw from Lebanon and cease intervention in the internal politics of Lebanon. The resolution also calls on all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias to disband. Furthermore, it declares support for a “free and fair electoral process.” While not mentioning Hizbullah by name, Resolution 1559 was drafted to address the threat from Hizbullah.
Though resolution 1559 concerns Syria and Lebanon –– and not Israel –– it plays an important role in securing regional peace. Full implementation of resolution 1559, including the disbanding of militias, is a necessary condition for regional security. The failure to fully implement resolution 1559 was, in part, responsible for events that led to the Second Lebanon War (2006).
General Assembly Resolution 60/7, “Holocaust Remembrance”
1 November 2005
Resolution 60/7 was a landmark resolution for the United Nations and for Holocaust Remembrance. For the first time, the General Assembly designated 27 January –– the day that the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp was liberated in 1945 –– as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Amongst other things, the resolution urges Member States to develop educational programmes that will inculcate future generations with the lessons of the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide, as well as requests the Secretary-General to establish a programme of outreach on the subject of the "Holocaust and the United Nations. For more information about the United Nations and Holocaust Remembrance, click here.
Security Council Resolution 1701
11 August 2006
On 12 July 2006, Hizbullah terrorists crossed the internationally recognized border between Israel and Lebanon and preceded to kidnap two Israeli soldiers while killing three and wounding two others (the two kidnapped soldiers were subsequently killed, and their remains were returned to Israel in 2008). In response to Hizbullah’s action, Israel launched a defensive operation against Hizbullah in Lebanon.
During the conflict, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1701 that sought to end the fighting. Resolution 1701 also contains vital elements that can build a more secure and stable situation in southern Lebanon that will disarm and disband Hizbullah so that the terrorist organization cannot plunge the region into another crisis.
General Assembly Resolution 61/255, “Holocaust denial”
26 January 2007
Following the adoption of GA resolution 60/7 regarding Holocaust Remembrance, the General Assembly took another major step towards preserving the memory and history of the Holocaust when it adopted a resolution condemning, in whole or in part, any form of Holocaust denial. The resolution was initiated, in part, in response to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s repeated and public denials of the Holocaust.
General Assembly Resolution 62/190, “Agricultural technology for development”
27 December 2007
In December 2007, the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Agricultural Technology for Development.” The resolution –– the first ever initiated by Israel –– recognized that the international community can act more vigorously to achieve global development commitments in the fields of agriculture. The resolution called for developed nations to share with developing countries more information and technology related to sustainable development.
Security Council Resolution 1850
16 December 2008
UN Security Council resolution 1850 endorsed the bilateral peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. For the first time, the Security Council explicitly approved the Quartet principles as a basis for international legitimacy and support for any Palestinian government, namely recognition of Israel, an end to violence, and acceptance of previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. Beyond Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, resolution 1850 calls upon Israel’s neighbors to create an environment conducive to bilateral negotiations, including the promotion of mutual recognition and peaceful coexistence in the region.
Security Council Resolution 1860
8 January 2009
In response to the thousands of rockets launched by Hamas terrorists and other groups from the Gaza Strip, Israel launched Operation Cast Lead to defend nearly one million Israeli citizens from the incessant rocket attacks. As Israel degraded Hamas’ capabilities and its terrorist infrastructure, the Security Council adopted resolution 1860 that called for a ceasefire and re-emphasized the Council’s commitment to resolution 1850 (see above).
