UN condemns Israeli settlements; US abstains

By Edith M. Lederer, Bradley Klapper and Josef Federman, The Associated Press

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Arizona Daily Star SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2016 • PAGE A15 Editor: Martin Rosales /520-573-4170/ mosales@tucson.com nation & world UN condemns Israeli settlements; US abstains By Edith M. Lederer, Bradley Klapper and Josef Federman THE ASSOCIATED PRESS UNITED NATIONS - In a striking rupture with past practice, the United States allowed the U.N.

Security Council on Friday to con- demn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and cast Jerusalem as a "flagrant vi- olation" of international law. In doing so, the out- going Obama administra- tion brushed aside Donald Trump's demands that the U.S. exercise its veto and provided a climax to years of icy relations with Israel's leadership.

The decision to abstain from the council's 14-0 vote is one of the biggest American rebukes of its longstanding ally in recent memory. And it could have significant ramifications for the Jewish state, potentially hindering Israel's negotiat- ing position in future peace talks.

Given the world's widespread opposition to settlements, the action will be almost impossible for anyone, including Trump, to reverse. Nevertheless Trump UNITED STATES THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Samantha Power. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, permitted the resolution to pass. vowed via Twitter: "As to the council chamber after the U.N., things will be dif- U.S.

Ambassador Samantha prepared to let the resolu- ferent after Jan. 20th." The resolution said Isra- Power permitted the reso- tion pass, despite blocking lution to pass. such proposals for years.

Israeli officials said el's settlements in lands the Friday's condemnation, they Palestinians want to include in their future state have a day after Egypt sudden- were aware of such plans "no legal validity." It de- postponed a scheduled and turned to Trump for showdown, capped days of support. capped days of ident-lect The U.S. pres- sent a tweet manded a halt to such activ- ities for the sake of "salvag- frantic diplomacy in capi- urging President Obama to ing the two-state solution." tals around the world.

American officials indi- block the U.N. effort. Egypt then pulled its resolution, Loud applause erupted in cated they would have been with U.S. officials citing fierce Israeli pressure as the reason. Israeli officials then accused Obama of collud- ing with the Palestinians in a "shameful move" against the lewish state. Washing- ton denied the charge.

Most of the world is opposed to Israel's con- struction of Jewish set- tlements in lands it seized in the 1967 Mideast War.

The primary holdout at the U.N. has been the United States, which sees settle- ments as illegitimate but has traditionally used its veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council to block such reso- lutions on the grounds that Israeli-Palestinian dis- putes should be addressed through negotiation.

Underscoring that uni- ty, Friday's resolution was proposed by nations in four different parts of the world: Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal and Venezuela. It is the first resolution on set- tlements to pass in 36 years, Malaysia's U.N. Ambas- sador Ramlan Bin Ibrahim said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or- dered several diplomatic steps in retaliation, recalling his nation's ambassadors to New Zealand and Senegal for consultations and can- celing a planned January visit to Israel by Senegal's foreign minister. He also ended Israeli aid programs to the African country.

"Israel rejects this shameful anti-Israel reso- lution at the U.N. and will not abide by its terms," Ne- tanyahu's office said in a statement, blaming Obama for failing to "protect Isra- el against this gang-up at the UN" and even colluding with the country's detrac- tors.

"Israel looks forward to working with Presi- dent-elect Trump and with all our friends in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, to negate the harmful effects of this absurd reso- lution." By contrast, chief Pal- estinian negotiation Sacb Erekat hailed the result as a "victory for the justice of the Palestinian cause." He said Trump's choice was now between "international legitimacy" or siding with "settlers and extremists"

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"UN condemns Israeli settlements; US abstains," Arizona Daily Star, 24 December 2016. Covering Palestine archive, CP-2017-017. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-2017-017