US, alone, vetoes UN condemnation of Israeli settlements

[TruthSeeker]

My country's shame, fear of the political power of Jewish Americans:


US vetoes UN condemnation of Israeli settlements

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.

The 14 member countries backing the Arab-drafted resolution included Britain and France.

The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said the decision to use the veto power – open to the five permanent members of the UN, of which the US is one – "should not be misunderstood to mean we support settlement activity".

She said Washington's view was that the Israeli settlements lacked legitimacy, but added: "Unfortunately, this draft resolution risks hardening the positions of both sides and could encourage the parties to stay out of negotiations."

But the isolated stance of the Obama administration risked the appearance of weakness in its approach to the search for Middle East peace and set it on a contradictory course to its earlier tough language against the settlements.

The Palestinian observer at the UN, Riyad Mansour, said the veto was unfortunate. "We fear ... that the message sent today may be one that only encourages further Israeli intransigence and impunity," he said.

Washington's controversial move clearly riled other members of the security council. Britain, France and Germany put out a joint statement in which they explained they had voted for the resolution "because our views on settlements, including east Jerusalem, are clear: they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace, and constitute a threat to a two-state solution. All settlement activity, including in east Jerusalem, should cease immediately."

William Hague said he understood Israeli concern for security, but said that was precisely why Britain had backed the resolution. "We believe that Israel's security and the realisation of the Palestinians' right to statehood are not opposing goals. On the contrary, they are intimately intertwined objectives." The US has used its veto 10 times since 2000, nine of which involved backing the Israeli side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


US vetoes UN condemnation of Israeli settlements | Ed Pilkington | World news | The Guardian

 

[Lankan Ranger]

 

[6642.CN]

US Veto of UN resolution undermines U.S. credibility on Mideast peace

BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The United States has vetoed a draft UN resolution condemning the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, turning a deaf ear to international calls and Palestinian appeals for an immediate stop.

The totally unjustified but foreseeable veto was another example of the double standards of the United States' policy toward the Middle East.

Whatever the motives behind the veto were, domestic political pressure or maintaining the U.S. unprincipled shield of Israel, the Obama administration can do whatever it deems right but must accept the cost. This time, it took the risk of losing its credibility in the Mideast peace process.

The Washington meeting in September between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in addtion to President Obama's commitment to achieving a framework agreement on core issues between the two sides within a year provided some dim rays of hope. But the Palestinians made it clear there would be no peace talks while settlement construction continued.

After the UN vote, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said Washington was "regrettably" blocking the draft resolution.

With the answer in its own hands, the Obama administration successfully ruined its earnestness and undid its past efforts that pretended to be impartial.

Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, said the U.S. veto was "unfortunate and affects the credibility of the American administration."

As a result, the Palestinians would "re-evaluate the entire process of negotiations" toward peace in the Middle East, he said.

U.S. representatives were a little bit lonely at the UN this time. The draft resolution had garnered the approval of more than 130 UN members and, during the Friday vote, all the other 14 members of the Security Council said "Yes" except the United States.

After the draft was effectively killed by the U.S. veto, hundreds of Palestinians went to the streets in anger.

Abbas came out of his office to meet the protesters.

"What we have sought and what we are seeking is that the occupiers leave our country so that we can build our independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," he told them. "We will not accept settlements regardless of their shape."

Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdainah said: "The American veto does not serve the peace process and encourages Israel to continue settlements, and to escape the obligations of the peace process."

"This veto will complicate matters in the Middle East," he said at the UN headquarters in New York.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Saturday said she regretted the deadlock in the UN.

If the shadow cast by the U.S. veto lingers, the stalled Mideast peace talks will be even more difficult to restart.

The United States, as an important party in the Mideast Quartet, has the responsibility of promoting peace in the volatile region.

It is highly expected that the United States could give up its partisan approach to the Mideast issue and make constructive efforts to promote peace and justice.

Veto of UN resolution undermines U.S. credibility on Mideast peace

 

[Spring Onion]

more support to Terrorist State of Israel by Zionists

 

[Ahmad]

US Veto of UN resolution undermines U.S. credibility on Mideast peace

the world already knew the biasness of americans when it comes to the issue of palestine/israel. nothing new in here. the americans and zionist lobby in america just want to buy time for israel to complete its taking of palestinian land under the name of peace process. eveybody knows it but nobody cant do a damn thing because the zionists are too strong to be opposed in america.

 

[Rafi]

The hypocritical stance of the US Govt is well known, I love ordinary American people, in fact - some of my best friendships have been with American's and at one point - nearly married a American, but the govt is a whole different ball game, the fact that Obama was supporting the Iranian youth to rebel - and his silence on the Bahraini security forces opening fire on peaceful protesters, because they are a US ally, puts that on show to the whole world.

Regarding Israel it's security will never be realized, on the back of suppression - more and more of the Jewish Diaspora are realizing that Israel is hurting itself by carrying out these actions.

 

[500]

zionist lobby in america just want to buy time for israel to complete its taking of palestinian land under the name of peace process. eveybody knows it but nobody cant do a damn thing because the zionists are too strong to be opposed in america.

I love when people talk about things they have no clue about. Before the peace process Palestinians did not have any lands. They never had any lands. Israel is only state that gave them lands for self rule. Ironically every time Israel gave to Palestinians lands they responded with more and more terror.

 

[500]

The hypocritical stance of the US Govt is well known

Maybe you should stop recieving the massive US aid before u complain about US policies?

 

[Luftwaffe]

500..Stop ranting talk to the point to the subject of the thread.

There is no connection between Payments from US to Pakistan for its service and veto by US for illegal Zionist state expansion.

 

[casual]

I love when people talk about things they have no clue about. Before the peace process Palestinians did not have any lands. They never had any lands. Israel is only state that gave them lands for self rule. Ironically every time Israel gave to Palestinians lands they responded with more and more terror.

so how would you deal with the palestinians?

 

[500]

so how would you deal with the palestinians?

I support two state solution with exchange of territories. But Palestinians rejected these offers. So now I think that that we must reach some temporary solution: pull out most of the settlements except vital parts, leave there our army (because if army leaves next day Hamas returns and starts firing rockets at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) and wait, when Palestinians will be ready for peace.

 

[Luftwaffe]

I love when people talk about things they have no clue about. Before the peace process Palestinians did not have any lands. They never had any lands. Israel is only state that gave them lands for self rule. Ironically every time Israel gave to Palestinians lands they responded with more and more terror.

We all have discuss this topic to death in other threads.. Do you know what terror is? Phosphorus use for 3 weeks on Palestinians..Are you blind have you seen the past 40+ years of Maps how Palestine shrunk and israel expanded..

Do I have to pick up Old testament and explain jewish history and the relocation for decades. So decide where your origin is from.
You absolutely have no clue and keep rating because someone pressed the hot button that bites you. Ironically the land belongs to Palestinians occupied over the past 40+ bit by bit by Zionists. Now talk sensible and stop babbling.

 

[Sinnerman108]

I support two state solution with exchange of territories. But Palestinians rejected these offers. So now I think that that we must reach some temporary solution: pull out most of the settlements except vital parts, leave there our army (because if army leaves next day Hamas returns and starts firing rockets at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) and wait, when Palestinians will be ready for peace.

Has any one ever won an argument with a Jew ?

Playing with words, twisting truth, bending the facts and ultimately acting naive and innocent has been this nation's specialty since dawn of time.

God's holy prophets, Moses's stick, the calf's sacrifice, God's gifted food in the desert was not enough,
the splitting of the sea was not enough, more prophets than any other people was not enough and yet these people found ways of fishing on the weekend !

Nothing God did was enough to make these people believers.

We are just humans ...

It is ironic that a nation with such a history even has the word "truth" in their dictionary.

 

[Rafael]

My country's shame, fear of the political power of Jewish Americans:/QUOTE]

A day shall come when this shame will turn into a regret!

 

[flameboard]

I love when people talk about things they have no clue about. Before the peace process Palestinians did not have any lands. They never had any lands. Israel is only state that gave them lands for self rule. Ironically every time Israel gave to Palestinians lands they responded with more and more terror.

There was a Palestine under British rule, much like there was a British India. You should also see that it's clear that Israelis have always wanted a lot of land, so they can fill it up with immigrants. If the land was granted by the Israelis to the Palestinians then the land under Palestinian control would have been much smaller in 1946, but such is not the case. All this land was undeniably fought over, then the question is who was fighting them? Yes surrounding countries did fight, but the fight was always with the Palestinians, by fighting them, Israel recognizes them. Historically Jews started to suffer in Palestine under British rule or whenever crusaders got hold of the area, things were much better under Muslims and freedom of religion was much better as well. These people didn't just pop up out of nowhere there were also Palestinian Jews against the creation Israel.