U.S. Vetoes U.N. Condemnation of Israeli Settlements

The U.S. has vetoed a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution calling on Israel to halt the building of illegal settlements on Palestinian land, saying its passage would “harden the positions of both sides.” —JCL

The Guardian:

The Obama administration wielded its first veto at the UN security council last night in a move to swipe down a resolution condemning Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory.

The US stood alone among the 15 members of the security council in failing to condemn the resumption of settlement building that has caused a serious rift between the Israeli government and the Palestinian authority and derailed attempts to kick-start the peace process. The Palestinians have made clear that they will not return to the negotiating table until Israel suspends settlement building in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The decision placed the US in a controversial position at a time when it is already struggling to define its strategy in a tumultuous Middle East.

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AP / Sebastian Scheiner

Barbed wire rings the illegal Israeli settlement of Beitar Ilit in the West Bank.