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The United States does not recognize Palestine as a state, its envoys said on Tuesday as they opposed United Nations General Assembly move to enhance the stature of the Palestinian Authority.“The Palestinians are not a UN Member State or any state at all. The United States will continually point that out in our remarks at UN events led by the Palestinians,” US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said.She spoke after the UNGA placed the PA at the head of a group of 134 nations , known as the Group of 77. To do so, it had to temporarily confer additional rights on the Palestinians, who have a non-member state status at the United Nations.“Today’s UN mistake undermines the prospects for peace by encouraging the illusion held by some Palestinian leaders that they can advance their goals without direct peace negotiations. In fact, today’s vote does nothing to help the Palestinian people,” Haley said.Her office added, “The United States does not recognize a Palestinian state, notes that no such state has been admitted as a UN Member State, and does not believe that the Palestinians are eligible to be admitted as a UN Member State.”US deputy UN Ambassador Jonathan Cohen told the UNGA that it planned to remind the UN that the Palestinians had not achieved statehood.His words were consistent with the United States position that recognition of Palestinian statehood should only occur after an agreement is reached ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Cohen spoke against Palestinian attempts to unilaterally gain statehood recognition at the UN, including through its quest to chair the G77.“The United States has long opposed enhancements of Palestinian status at the United Nations. We voted against the General Assembly’s resolution designating the Palestinian delegation as a non-member Observer State. We have consistently and formally objected to Palestinian accession to treaties to which we are a party. That is because, as we said, the United States does not recognize that there is a Palestinian state, and we do not consider ourselves to be in a treaty relationship with the “State of Palestine,” Cohen said.“For decades, the United States has been committed to achieving a comprehensive end to the Israeli Palestinian conflict. We have been clear that only through direct negotiations between the parties can the Israelis and Palestinians achieve the peace that they both deserve,” Cohen said.“That remains our goal today. We cannot support efforts by the Palestinians to enhance their status outside of direct negotiations,” Cohen said.