U.S. Abstains From UN Vote Criticizing Israeli Settlements
- Settlements issue has ‘gotten so much worse’: Samantha Power
- Trump, McCain and Schumer all sought U.S. veto on resolution
The Obama administration abstained from voting Friday on a UN Security Council resolution critical of Israel’s settlements in the West Bank, drawing accusations from the Israeli government that Washington had abandoned its closest Middle East ally and dealt a blow to the chances of peace talks with the Palestinians.
The resolution, which could have been vetoed by the U.S., declared Israeli settlements illegal under international law and demanded that the country cease construction in the West Bank and other territories captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, defended the move to abstain, saying “one cannot champion" both settlements and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.