Senators called on Biden to block “ridiculous, politically-motivated” and “biased” measure.
By World Israel News
Amid pressure from the Biden administration, the Palestinians have agreed to drop an anti-Israel resolution demanding an immediate halt to all “settlement activities” that was slated to be presented at the United Nations Security Council on Monday.
The resolution, which was drafted by the United Arab Emirates, declared that all Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, which it terms “Palestinian territory,” are illegal and a “flagrant violation under international law.”
It also condemned any “unilateral moves,” including extending Israeli sovereignty over the area in question, as well as calling for the “immediate reversal” of those moves, including Israel’s decision to legalize nine so-called outposts in response to a terror wave in Jerusalem.
However, in a note sent to the Security Council on Sunday, the UAE said that in light of “positive talks between the parties,” it was pulling the draft resolution.
Instead, it would draft a a far less consequential statement called a PRST, that “would garner consensus,” the UAE said.
“Accordingly, there will not be a vote on the draft resolution on Monday. Much of the language of the PRST will be drawn from the draft resolution.”
Israel, for its part, would agree to postpone the authorization of settlement construction over the coming months, but would not delay the construction of 10,000 additional homes already green-lighted. It would also reassess demolitions of Palestinian homes built without permits in eastern Jerusalem and decrease the number of IDF raids in Palestinian cities, Israeli media reported.
As of the end of last week Biden administration has said that the UAE-drafted resolution was “unhelpful,” but had stopped short of confirming that it would veto it at the Council, prompting Republican members of Congress to call on President Joe Biden to use the U.S. veto rights against to strike down the vote.
“As the UN Security Council once again moves to consider another one-sided, biased, anti-Israel resolution, it is imperative that the United States maintain its position that only direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians can yield progress,” Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy wrote in a letter to Biden that was co-signed by Steve Scalise, the Majority Leader and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul.
Several senators condemned the resolution.
Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) tweeted: “Rather than focus on grave threats posed by China, Russia, Iran & North Korea, the UN continues its anti-Israel obsession. Biden should stand with Israel & veto this resolution. Do not repeat the shameful Obama-Biden abstention on UNSCR 2334 in Dec 2016.”
Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) called on the Biden Administration to deploy its veto power and “defend our ally Israel.”
“This resolution will not lead to peace and only furthers anti-Israel actions at the UN,” he said.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark) also called on Biden to “block the ridiculous, politically-motivated measure.”
The Trump administration in 2019 broke with decades of U.S. policy by declaring that the U.S. no longer viewed Israeli settlements as a violation of international law.