Israeli officials are reacting with their predictable level of outrage after the UN Security Council voted 14-0 to call for an end to Israeli settlement construction in the occupied territories. The United States abstained from the vote, making it the first time in 36 years the US didn’t veto a settlement-themed resolution.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed President Obama entirely, saying that Obama was “colluding against Israel” in not vetoing the resolution, insisting that he “looks forward to working with President-elect Trump to undermine the resolution. Netanyahu also announced sanctions against Senegal and New Zealand for co-sponsoring the effort.
The White House denied that Obama had any role in formulating the resolution, though officials did insist that the reason the US did not veto it was because they agreed fully with the language within. They also rejected claims by other Israeli officials that the US has “abandoned Israel.”
Moreover, the White House said the US could “not in good conscience” veto the resolution because it was the result of a series of policy choices made by Netanyahu, and that the US sees Netanyahu’s acceleration of settlement construction as a serious threat to the peace process.
In not voting against the resolution and abstaining to vote at all, Obama definitetly ‘broke step’ with the only force for good in the middle East.
But ‘collude’? That would mean America would have to, at least talk with, guide, direct and persuade most of the nations on Earth. We know that doesn’t happen – unless they want to get Ukraine ‘elected’ to the UNSC.
Bennie’s just trying to lay a little more ‘Putin’ on Obama. Actually Netanyahu was the ‘world leader’ who first Mr Obama want to ‘honk’ into the potted palms. If it hadn’t been for Vlad’s treachery, Netanyahu could have claimed credit for turning Obama’s hair white. Then again, Bennie doesn’t look like he’s come-off unscathed either, does he?
This is an antiwar website, not an armchair corporal neocon/liberal interventionist rag. Consult your GPS.
Was “only force for good” sarcasm? Damn, I hope so.
If Obama did one thing agreeable in his 8 war mongering years as present and novel
Peace prize winner (what a joke!), is how he tried to contain at least in some small way, the Israeli lobby…
BiBi will have a willing partner. Donald to the rescue.
It gets grim at this point. There’s every reason to expect that Donald will now simply declare that the US is withdrawing from the United Nations, and that the UN will have to vacate it’s New York premises effective immediately.
Anyone think he’s not capable of that? That this can’t be what he meant when he said, “things are going to be different after January 20th”?
It is unfortunately true that American presidents must bow to the will of he zionists that rule the world, and are colluding to maintain an atmosphere of unrest in the Middle East….
Collude: to act together through a secret understanding, especially with evil or harmful intent. The whole point of the UN existing is for us to ‘act together.’ Yet this supposedly nefarious action was to abstain – do nothing – something the US govt publicly warned we might do. What Israel is doing to the Palestinians is evil, harmful and aggressive.
The typical US policy of siding with the abuser was skipped this time. Trump promises to get back to only “negotiations” between the bully and victim, in other words letting Israel attack and steal without limit.
A resolution against stealing is antisemitic?
Wasn’t that one of those Ten Commandments?
Was there an asterisk I missed?
It only applies to members of your own tribe. That’s why Madoff’s crimes were so serious.
You sound like you read Israel Shahak
So now sanctions are an acceptable political tool but only in the hands of Netanyahoo. When they are against Israel (BDS) they are anti-semitic.