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A Palestinian works at a construction site in the Jewish West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim, near Jerusalem Sebastian Scheiner/AP/Press Association Images

US criticised over failure to condemn settlement construction in Palestine

Diplomats have condemned the lack of progress toward a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

FOURTEEN FRUSTRATED MEMBERS of the UN Security Council pointed a finger at the United States for blocking any condemnation of Israel’s accelerated settlement construction in Palestinian territory.

In a move which Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin called historic, diplomats from almost all regional blocs represented on the council stepped to the microphone after closed council consultations on the Mideast to condemn the lack of progress toward a solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Churkin, the current council president, said the frustration over the impasse in Israeli-Palestinian talks spilled out in statements from the four European Union council members, the Nonaligned Movement, the Arab group, and the group of emerging powers that includes India, Brazil and South Africa.

Clearly referring to the United States, Churkin said dismissively that one delegation believes things will “miraculously” sort themselves out on their own.

“The call for bilateral negotiations without preconditions would seem a normal thing to ask for,” he said.

‘Failure to take action’

But Churkin said the Palestinians are overwhelmed militarily and in every other way by the Israelis and without preconditions they would not get a fair shake in negotiations.

The diplomats — including key US allies in Europe — also criticised the council’s failure to take action against escalating violence by Israeli settlers and urged a speedy resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Britain’s UN Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, also speaking for EU members France, Germany and Portugal, said “Israel’s security and the realization of the Palestinians’ right to statehood are not opposing goals.”

“On the contrary they are mutually reinforcing objectives,” he said. “But they will not be achieved while settlement building and settler violence continues.”

South Africa’s UN Ambassador Baso Sangqu, speaking on behalf of the Nonaligned Movement of mainly developing countries, said settler attacks against Palestinian civilians increased 50 percent this year and called Israeli settlement construction “the main impediment for the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

While the United States was not mentioned by name, the diplomats anger was clearly directed at Washington which vetoed a resolution in February backed by the 14 other council members that would have demanded an immediate halt to all settlement building.

The Obama administration has also promised to veto any Security Council resolution supporting Palestine’s bid to become the 194th member of the United Nations.

‘Does not support settlement building’

The US has said repeatedly it does not support settlement building. But Payton Knopf, the U.S. Mission’s deputy spokesman, told AP “the only way to resolve the outstanding issues between Israelis and Palestinians is through serious and substantive direct negotiations.”

The United States also opposes Security Council action on “final status issues” because this “would only harden the positions of both sides and make the resumption of negotiations more difficult,” Knopf said.

The Palestinians insist they will not resume peace talks until Israel halts settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which they want as a capital.

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed just weeks after they restarted in September 2010 because Israel ended a 10-month moratorium on settlement construction.

Karean Peretz, spokeswoman for Israel’s UN Mission, questioned why the Security Council was focusing on settlements but remained “silent and paralyzed” on pressing issues including civilian killings in Syria, terrorist groups operating in Gaza, attacks on UN forces in Lebanon and Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons.

“The main obstacle to peace, has been, and remains, the Palestinians’ claim to the so-called right of return (for refugees) and its refusal to recognise Israel as a Jewish state,” she told AP.

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13 Comments
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    Mute Imran Ali
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    Dec 21st 2011, 2:11 PM

    US Gov is bought and paid for by Zionist interests. Look at the amount of sucking up done by most of the republican candidates….. Although the surge of Ron Paul suggests that the American public might finally be waking up to these parasites.

    71
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    Mute Peter Laurent
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    Dec 21st 2011, 2:54 PM

    RON PAUL whooooooooooooo!

    17
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    Mute Mata Mata
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    Dec 21st 2011, 2:11 PM

    Zionists in Israel and the USA have put the ordinary Israeli and American in danger , making new enemies every day. The world is watching you and our leaders are getting tired of your two faces !

    59
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    Mute Bigbirtha
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    Dec 21st 2011, 2:15 PM

    * “Everybody has to move, run and grab as many hilltops as they can to enlarge the settlements because everything we take now will stay ours… Everything we don’t grab will go to them.” Ariel Sharon, Israeli Foreign Minister, addressing a meeting of militants from the extreme right-wing Tsomet Party, Agence France Presse, November 15, 1998.

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    Mute Ballyer Rules
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    Dec 21st 2011, 2:59 PM

    Perhaps the biggest injustice against an entire race of people in the world. Hatred and racism exudes through everything the Israelis do towards the Palestinians. I know that rockets into israel is the main counter argument but really they pale beside the abuse perpetrated by the Israeli state. The most responsibility rests with those with the power.

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    Mute Damhsa Dmf
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    Dec 21st 2011, 2:58 PM

    The US does not and never did want peace in the middle east, and supporting Israel in everything they do ensures this.

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    Mute Fiachra KME
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    Dec 21st 2011, 3:49 PM

    Disgraceful-I really hoped for change in America when Obama came to power but nothing. Guantanamo still in action, Failure to find any solidarity with Palestine and their agressive and childish behaviour to Iran… Land of the free, eh?

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    Mute Imran Ali
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    Dec 21st 2011, 2:20 PM

    Occupation 101, great documentary. Credible, mostly Jewish, people telling what’s really going on there

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    Mute Shanti Om
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    Dec 21st 2011, 3:03 PM

    As is “Beyond the TV News: Arabs in Israel”, made by Chaim Yavin just as he was retiring as Israels no 1 news anchor. He was rather shocked and appalled to see past what he was given to read to the general Israeli public for his entire career.

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    Mute Chris Coffey
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    Dec 21st 2011, 6:28 PM

    I really wish America would stop blowing smoke up the worlds arse by pretending to be impartial every time they come out with one of these quotes.

    While we’re at it I think the entire setup of the UN Security council is a joke and against everything the UN is supposed to be about. Having 4 permenant members with veto power, which is abused for their self interests defeats the entire purpose!

    The continued building of settlements seems to state very clearly that Israel couldn’t care less whether Palestine comes back to the table or not. In saying that though the very last point of the article is important, it would be an obvious and substantial step in the right direction for Palestine to come out and officially recognise Israel. If there’s going to be peace it has to be done at some point.

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    Mute Rocky Dennis
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    Dec 21st 2011, 3:34 PM

    Ah lads, on the bright side, could be some jobs for Irish Construction workers…..happy days…

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    Mute RDX862
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    Dec 21st 2011, 6:57 PM

    Good for the US, I didn’t notice any anti-Russian and Chinese rants on here when they blocked sanctions on Syria.

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    Mute Niall Carson
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    Dec 21st 2011, 9:11 PM

    Is that supposed to excuse the demolition of people’s homes and building settlements? Go and rant about china and Russia on another discussion thread.

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