Russian Foreign Minister Vassily Nebenzia has said that he favoured granting Palestine full membership to the United Nations, Al Jazeera reports.

“Recognising Palestine will help in the long term to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Nebenzia said.

He also slammed a comment by Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan who said Palestinians fail to meet the criteria to become a full UN member, which he outlined as a permanent population, defined territory, government, and capacity to enter relations with other states.

Nebenzia said Israel did not meet those requirements in 1949, yet it was admitted to the UN.