Estonia's foreign policy is usually aligned with the rest of the EU when it comes to UN votes, or aligned with the U.S., or remains neutral, if the EU is split on a vote – as it was in the case of this resolution.

However, in this case, in the vote held in New York on Wednesday, Estonia chose differently from the U.S. – the latter as one of Israel's closest allies voted against the resolution.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said: "Our vote in favor of the resolution does not change our firm position that Israel has an inalienable right to self-defense, and that Hamas is a terrorist organization whose actions must be condemned unequivocally."

"Because these elements are not sufficiently reflected in the resolution's text, we stressed in our explanatory statement the need also to take into account Israel's legitimate security interests," the minister went on, via a press release.

The majority vote in favor of the Nordic and Baltic countries was a key factor in Estonia's decision, Tsahkna added, as was the need for maintaining a rules-based order.

Estonia voted for the resolution on @CIJ_ICJ advisory opinion because of our unwavering commitment to international law. Relying on international law helps move towards a two-state solution & ensure both the security of Israel & future of Palestine.

EOV: https://t.co/qrQcyPPTVh pic.twitter.com/GJ5v53UaZj

— Estonia in UN | #StandWithUkraine (@EstoniaUN) September 18, 2024

"A rules-based international order is of the utmost importance to Estonia, and we are convinced that international law must apply to all UN member states," Tsahkna added.

UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions are not legally binding, and serve as a reflection of the majority stance of nations on important issues.

In July of this year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a UN organ, in an advisory opinion deemed illegal Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, namely the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this month, Palestine submitted a resolution to the UN General Assembly urging Israel to end the occupation based on that same ICJ's opinion.

Joining Estonia in voting in favor of the resolution, from EU member states, was: Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.

EU member states voting against were the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden all abstained from voting on the resolution.

Overall the UNGA vote strongly supported (124 to 14, with 43 abstentions) the non-binding Palestinian resolution, demanding that Israel end its "unlawful presence" in Gaza and the occupied West Bank within a year.

Estonia also in May voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution in New York which elevated Palestine's status as an observer state within the global organization and called for full membership.

EU member states were similarly split on that vote: Fourteen countries supported the resolution, 11 abstained, and two voted against it.

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