US Rejects Israeli Claim It Drafted UN Settlement Resolution

Settlement building in the territories occupied by Israel is considered illegal under international law.

Washington, 28 Rabiul Awwal 1438/28 December 2016 (MINA) – The US on Tuesday denied claims by Israel that it helped Arab states draft the UN resolution condemning settlements and deeming them illegal.

The resolution passed 14-0 on Friday, with the US surprisingly abstaining instead of vetoing the measure.

The move angered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he is looking forward to the incoming administration of Donald Trump to rebuild the US-Israeli alliance.

“We reject the notion that the United States was the driving force behind this resolution. That’s just not true,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner was quoted by KUNA as telling reporters.

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“The United States did not draft this resolution, nor did it put it forward. It was drafted initially and introduced, as we all know, by Egypt in coordination with the Palestinians and others,” he said.

“When it was clear that the Egyptians and the Palestinians would insist on bringing this resolution to a vote, and that every other country on the council would in fact, support it, we made clear to others, including those on the Security Council that further changes were needed to make the text more balanced,” he continued, referring to US-mandated clauses condemning Palestinian incitement to violence.

“That’s a standard practice with regard to resolutions as a security council,” Toner affirmed.

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“The idea that this was again, pre-cooked or that we had agreed upon the text weeks in advanced is just not accurate.” (T/RS05/RS01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)