Thursday’s United Nations vote admonishing the U.S. move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital underscored the overwhelming international support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, and dealt a blow to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But the voting pattern on the resolution, with nine objections and 35 abstentions, also highlighted pockets of diplomatic support for Israel. The result was less unanimously against Israel than the vote on many other U.N. resolutions on Israel.

“Israel completely rejects this preposterous resolution,” Mr. Netanyahu said in a statement. “But I do appreciate the fact that a growing number of countries refused to participate in the theater of the absurd.”

Mr. Netanyahu has said countries around the world are changing their attitudes toward Israel due to its offers of intelligence sharing and technology cooperation. Even Arab states with which Israel has no diplomatic relations are willing to work with his government in private, Mr. Netanyahu has said.

Publicly, Arab states have indicated they will engage with Israel diplomatically only after the establishment of a Palestinian state. Thursday’s resolution, introduced by Turkey and Yemen, was co-sponsored by many other Arab and Muslim governments, underscoring their support for a two-state solution.


The vote proved a diplomatic coup for Palestinian officials after the U.S decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and announce a plan to move its embassy there from Tel Aviv. Palestinian officials have said they would boycott the Trump administration’s effort to launch peace talks and seek greater support for their own state from bodies such as the U.N.

“This decision reaffirms once again that the just Palestinian cause enjoys the support of the international community,” a spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said. “And no decisions made by any side could change the reality, that Jerusalem is an occupied territory under international law.”

Israel has traditionally faced hostility in many international bodies due to its control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

In a bid to change perceptions, Mr. Netanyahu this year has visited China and hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was also the first sitting Israeli prime minister to travel to Latin America and Australia, and has visited Africa twice this year.


Australia, Argentina, Colombia, Rwanda and Cameroon were among the nations that abstained from voting. Two Israeli allies in Europe—the Czech Republic and Hungary—also abstained, breaking with fellow members of the European Union.

Some countries that abstained from voting, such as Australia and the Czech Republic, said they remained committed to a two-state solution but didn’t believe Thursday’s vote furthered that goal, according to statements at the U.N. after the count. Israeli and Palestinian officials said earlier that they were making diplomatic efforts to influence voting.

In a speech earlier this month in Jerusalem, Mr. Netanyahu displayed a map with colors depicting new or deepened relationships Israel had developed over the past year, including with Russia, China, India and nations in Africa.

Under pressure from right-wing members of his government, Mr. Netanyahu earlier this year backed away from a previous commitment to establish a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.


Write to Rory Jones at rory.jones@wsj.com