State Department officials refuse to say whether US will support Palestinian bid; Congress urges Obama to veto any one-sided draft
WASHINGTON — The United States refused to say Thursday whether or not it would support a Palestinian proposal for a United Nations resolution to condemn Israeli settlement building — but ruled nothing out.
While Washington often criticizes Israeli building work in the West Bank as an obstacle to peace, it has also traditionally resisted Palestinian efforts to pressure Israel through the United Nations.
While Washington often criticizes Israeli building work in the West Bank as an obstacle to peace, it has also traditionally resisted Palestinian efforts to pressure Israel through the United Nations.
“We will consider all of our options for advancing our shared objective of lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
Palestinian officials have circulated a draft resolution that would deem Israeli settlements illegal and an obstacle to a peace deal based on two states living side by side within agreed borders.
It demands that Israel “immediately and completely” cease all settlement activities.
The UN Security Council failed to adopt a similar motion condemning Israeli settlement building in 2011 after the United States deployed its veto.
Washington has since argued that the best route to peace lies through a comprehensive deal between the two parties, and not through litigating the conflict in the Security Council.
The Palestinian draft is still under discussion among Arab countries at the United Nations and it is not known when it will be presented to the full council.
But the world body is due to discuss the Middle East crisis on Monday and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is due in New York next week to attend the signing of the UN climate deal.
A Security Council resolution is generally considered legally binding and would add more pressure on Israel.
On Thursday House Republicans and Democrats urged President Barack Obama to reject any actions by the United Nations to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that are biased against Israel.
In a letter sent to Obama, 388 House members said one-sided initiatives may come up at the UN in the coming months. They said the proposals should be vetoed because they could block the two sides from resuming the direct negotiations that are key to resolving their differences.
The lawmakers said they remain committed to a two-state solution and noted that they shared Obama’s frustration with the lack of progress toward peace.
The 388 members account for nearly 90 percent of the House of Representatives.
Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki has said Palestinians hope that Obama, freed of reelection concerns, will break with American protocol and refrain from vetoing a resolution this time around.
“There are indications that President Barack Obama may try to put a basis for a new era regarding the Palestinian-Israeli issue before leaving the White House after his achievements in Iran and Cuba,” Malki said this week. “Thus the US administration may surprise Israel by voting in favor of a Palestinian resolution or at least not to use the veto against it.”
As reported by The Times of Israel