Samantha Power US Ambassador to the UN
The UN Security Council on Friday passed a resolution demanding
that Israel halt building settlements on occupied Palestinian
territory, a move that was permitted by the US’s abstention.
The resolution, put forward by by New Zealand, Malaysia,
Venezuela, and Senegal, passed with 14 members of the council
voting in favor. The US abstained, refusing to use its power as a
sitting member of the Security Council to veto. In doing so, the
Obama administration defied pressure from US President-elect
Donald Trump, along with bipartisan members of Congress. The resolution says that Israeli settlements in Palestinian
territories have “no legal validity” and constitute a “flagrant
violation under international law.” The settlements are a
“major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State (sic)
solution,” and a, “just, lasting and comprehensive peace,”
the resolution says.
Members of the council clapped and cheered as the vote passed. It
was the first time in 36 years the UN adopted a resolution on
Israeli settlements. Israel strongly condemned what it called a “shameful anti-Israel”
resolution and said it would not abide by its terms. In a
statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also
accused the US of being complicit in the UN effort.
“The Obama administration not only failed to protect Israel
against this gang-up at the UN, it colluded with it behind the
scenes,” the statement read. It said it looked forward to
“working with President-elect Trump and with all our friends in
Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike.”
Bipartisan members of Congress had denounced the resolution
leading up to its passage. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from
South Carolina, called it a “provocative action,” that “must
be dealt with sternly and forcefully.”
Graham said he would work to form a bipartisan coalition to
“suspend or significantly reduce United States assistance to the
United Nations.”
Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas said
in a statement that “President Obama is personally
responsible for this anti-Israel resolution.”
“This resolution hurts the prospects for a secure and
just peace by targeting Israel for building homes in Jerusalem,
its own capital, while not specifically addressing Palestinian
incitement of and financial support for terrorism,” he
said.
An
Israeli soldier takes position during an operation to locate
three missing teenagers, in the West Bank city of Hebron June 18,
2014.
REUTERS/Ronen
Zvulun
Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, told the Security
Council that the US would not have let the resolution pass if it
didn’t address “counterproductive” measures by Palestinians to
the peace process.
Power noted that Israel continues to be “treated
differently,” than other UN member states.
“You cannot separate the venue from the vote,” she said.
The passage of the resolution comes near the end of an
often contentious relationship between Obama and
Netanyahu.
Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened on
Thursday, with both men personally calling on Egyptian
president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to postpone the
vote.
Trump also urged the Obama administration to
veto the resolution, though a group of temporary
Security Council members picked up the resolution on drove it to
a vote on Friday.
