While calling Israeli settlement construction "folly" the U.S. has nonetheless vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have condemned Israeli settlement construction as "illegal."
Having failed to convince the Palestinian Authority to withdraw the resolution from the Security Council, the U.S. has vetoed it, despite opposing settlement construction in principal.
According to Al Jazeera:
"Washington says it opposes settlements in principal, but claims that the UN Security Council is not the appropriate venue for resolving the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told council members that the veto 'should not be misunderstood to mean we support settlement activity" Obama, who had said Israeli settlements in territories it captured in a 1967 war are illegal and unhelpful to the peace process, says the resolution could shatter hopes of reviving the stalled talks.
The Palestinians say continued building flouts the internationally-backed peace plan that will permit them to create a viable, contiguous state on the 1967 land, after a treaty with Israel to end its occupation and 62 years of conflict."
Every other member state of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution.
Read the full story: US vetoes UN vote on settlements
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