The US has taken the strongest action in years against long standing ally Israel.
ADVERTISEMENTThe US has taken the strongest action in years against long standing ally Israel.
By abstaining from a UN vote on condemning Israeli settlements, Sarah Powers, US envoy to the UN allowed the motion to pass.
The resolution says settlements on the West Bank and in Jerusalem since 1967 have “no legal validity”.
It also insists that the halting of these settlements is vital to saving the Two-State solution
Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador the UN responded by asking:
“Who gave you the right to issue such a decree denying our eternal rights in Jerusalem? Would this council have had the nerve to condemn your country for building homes in your capital?”
Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour, on the other hand, welcomed the passing of the resolution, saying that:
“After years of allowing the law to be trampled and the situation to spiral downward, today’s resolution may rightly be seen as a last attempt to preserve the two-state solution and revive the path for peace”
The move, or lack thereof, is seen as a parting blow to Israel’s Netanyahu from President Obama.
The US should veto the anti-Israel resolution at the UN Security Council on Thursday.
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) December 22, 2016
The pair have had a rocky relationship.
Obama has targeted the settlements in peace talks, which have largely failed.
But President-elect Trump holds a very different, pro-Netanyahu view, as hinted at by this tweet.
As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2016
He also hopes to appoint David Friedman , a hardline zionist, as US Ambassador to Israel.
The security council had been due to vote on the resolution on Thursday, but Egypt withdrew the motion under pressure from Israel and Trump.
Israel say they reject and will not abide by the ruling which was eventually co-sponsored by New Zealand and Senegal