The mostly symbolic move puts added diplomatic pressure on Israel as the war and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip rage. France is now the biggest Western power to recognize Palestine.
Norway, Ireland and Spain recognized a Palestinian state on Wednesday in a historic move that drew immediate condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians.
The assembly voted by a wide margin to grant new "rights and privileges" to Palestine and called on the Security Council to reconsider the Palestinians' request to become a U.N. member.
The formula for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long called for negotiating a Palestinian state. What if that were reversed and a state were declared first and then negotiated later?