The UN Security Council on Tuesday rejected a Palestinian resolution calling for Israeli withdrawal form the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem and the establishment of a Palestinian state by the end of 2017.
A US veto ensured that the resolution was not passed. The resolution also failed to reach the required minimum 9 votes in favour for it to be passed. In total, there were 8 votes in favour, including France, Russia and China, two against and five abstentions, reports Reuters. Australia and the US voted against the resolution.
The resolution called for negotiations on Palestinian statehood to be based on territorial lines that existed between the 1967 Middle East war, were Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
The US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power defended Washington’s vote against the resolution, stating,
“The United States every day searches for new ways to take constructive steps to support the parties making progress towards achieving a negotiated settlement. The Security Council resolution put before today is not one of those constructive steps.”
Cautioning Israel and warning that the US would strongly oppose actions that "undermined peace efforts in the form of settlement activity”, Power added, “today’s vote should not be interpreted as a victory for an unsustainable status quo.”
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