The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelming Thursday to approve the Palestinians’ bid to fly their national flag outside the United Nations headquarters. The resolution, which allows so-called observer states to fly their flags, was co-sponsored by more than 50 countries. Palestine became the second observer state in 2012, joining the Vatican. Only eight countries voted against Thursday’s resolution, including the United States, Israel, Canada and Australia. Riyad Mansour, Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, spoke after the vote.

Riyad Mansour: “Today’s vote is a reaffirmation of the legitimacy of the national aspirations of the Palestinian people, of their existence among the nations of the world and their right to self-determination, to be a free people in control of their lives and destiny in their own independent state.”