Israeli source blames Obama for UN settlement vote, says he 'abandoned Israel'

A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes to pass.

By REUTERS

DECEMBER 23, 2016 18:21

US President Barack Obama arrives with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (R) in Washington September 1, 2010 (photo credit: REUTERS) — US President Barack Obama arrives with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (R) in Washington September 1, 2010

(photo credit: REUTERS)

US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry pushed a "shameful" draft anti-settlement resolution at the UN Security Council, a senior Israeli official said on Friday.

"The US administration secretly cooked up with the Palestinians an extreme anti-Israeli resolution behind Israel's back which would be a tailwind for terror and boycotts," the official said.

The official added that "President Obama could declare his willingness to veto this resolution in an instant but instead is pushing it. This is an abandonment of Israel which breaks decades of US policy of protecting Israel at the UN and undermines the prospects of working with the next administration of advancing peace."

Obama Admin should veto any hostile, one-sided #UNSC resolution on Israeli settlements. Another example of @UN bias against #Israel.
— Senator Rubio Press (@SenRubioPress) December 22, 2016

The vote on the resolution was scheduled for Thursday but then postponed. The UN Security Council will vote on Friday on the resolution after four council members again put forward the measure a day after Egypt withdrew it under pressure from Israel and US President-elect Donald Trump.

New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal, who were co-sponsors of the draft resolution, have requested the vote, which diplomats said was likely to take place at 3 p.m. (2000 GMT).

New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal told Egypt on Thursday night that if Cairo did not clarify its position, then they reserved the right to "proceed to put it to vote ASAP."

Security Council member Egypt then officially withdrew the text, which it had worked on with the Palestinians, allowing those four countries to call for a vote, diplomats said.

A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, France, Russia, Britain or China to be adopted.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump had both called for the United States to veto the draft resolution.