Posted on 12/25/2016 6:18:39 AM PST by ducttape45
The US publicly told its partners on the Security Council that it would consider each draft resolution on its merit, but says that it never indicated how it would vote– up until the vote itself.
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration insists it was disciplined in its silence over how it would ultimately vote on resolutions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that ultimately reached the UN Security Council, where it holds veto power.
Hours before such a vote was set to take place– on a resolution condemning Israel's settlement activity– one senior administration official told The Jerusalem Post that the president's team "was not involved in formulating the resolution, nor have we promoted it."
"We have not communicated to any UN Security Council members how the United States would vote if the resolution comes before the UN Security Council," the official said.
But the Israeli government has publicly accused the Obama administration of "colluding" with its drafters to ensure that the right resolution with just the right language came forward for a vote. The US publicly told its partners on the Security Council that it would consider each draft resolution on its merit, but says that it never indicated how it would vote– up until the vote itself, which took place on Friday afternoon. The US abstained, allowing the resolution to pass.
The Israeli government provided no clear evidence to back its claim that the Obama administration worked to promote the effort. But one public engagement by Secretary of State John Kerry last month may offer some clues as to how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government reached its conclusion. (Israel, Palestinian ambassadors to UN give speeches before vote on settlement resolution)
Kerry visited New Zealand on November 13, shortly after the US presidential election, and took part in "deep" conversation over how its government– which holds a non-permanent seat on the Security Council until the end of this calendar year– could engage in a UN-related initiative on the Middle East peace process.
"It is a conversation we are engaged in deeply and we've spent some time talking to Secretary Kerry about where the US might go on this," New Zealand's foreign minister, Murray McCully, told local reporters after the meeting, according to the New Zealand Herald. "It is something that is still in play."
"I think there are some very important decisions that the Obama administration is going to have to make in its lame-duck period on this issue," he added.
Egypt drafted the resolution that ultimately condemned Israel's settlement enterprise as an illegal operation contrary to the pursuit of peace with the Palestinians. The resolution also condemned incitement to violence by the Palestinian authorities.
The Egyptians coordinated on the language with the Palestinian Authority, whose chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, met with Kerry at the State Department on December 12. Israeli officials believe it was at this meeting that Kerry first relayed the president's willingness to abstain.
The White House said on Friday that US President Barack Obama had not decided how to proceed until hours before the vote.
Last minute, however, the Egyptian government pulled its own draft– due to pressure from the Israeli government, according to Western diplomatic sources, and after President-elect Donald Trump called publicly and privately for the resolution to be scrapped.
The draft was then dusted off by New Zealand, which formally introduced the resolution for a vote.
Didn't the obama admin give Israel something like 40 billion dollars?
Kerry hates them because leftists/liberals like Kerry align themselves with Muslims. They’ve been doing it for years now. They want to destroy Israel because that will mean ‘peace’ - but it is the peace of the grave. There is no peace with Islam.
He's a petty little man with no real accomplishments, just like his president. Israel, which is fighting for its existence, has had the temerity to criticize him and his feckless president, so got some payback on the way out the door. John Kerry who harbored megalomanical fantasies will disappear as a minor footnote on January 20, and this is his way of extracting a small measure of revenge.
Democrats and leftists blame Israel for everything. It’s a foregone conclusion right from the start.
Kerry has some Jewish ancestry if I’m not mistaken, which is reminiscent of another historical proponent of antisemitism. So, it’s self hatred I’d guess.
Another tick mark on the tally of misdeeds for the Zero administration.
Didn’t the obama admin give Israel something like 40 billion dollars?
The lasting damage are the resolutions, which apparently not make it illegal for the Jews to have any settlements outside of the 1967 boundaries, including Jerusalem.
DID THE CRUSADES have any effect? Jefferson did. What’s next? 911 was the opportunity. So was the Iran protests of 2009.
...and so what.
40 billion is used among other things to Buy US military assets...
I’ve noticed you seen to have an anti Israel posting history...
What’s your beef?
“Didn’t the obama admin give Israel something like 40 billion dollars?”
Yes, 38 Billion over 10 years. But the agreement makes the U.S. President the one who controls the purse strings and takes congress out of the equation (Why Israel signed that is beyond me). Plus, at the time the $38 billion agreement was signed, Obama thought Hillary was going to be the next President. This U.N. resolution was allowed only because Trump won. Obama never thought for a second Trump was going to be president and have control of that $38 billion. IMHO.
Lol. 40 billion is a fig leaf to make a group of Americans happy. Maybe their loyalties lie elsewhere and maybe next time Israel should get nothing.
They say Peace ! Peace ! but there is no peace...Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,” says the LORD.
Jeremiah 6:14b, 15
New Zealand is run by the “National Party” who’s PM John Key resigned suddenly early this month.
The “National Party” is the NZ equivalent of the Republicans, the ‘mainstream party of the Right’.
Obama and some RINO’s from down under doing dirty work against Israel......
Ethan hates Israel. You can tell by his posts. I am a Baptist married to a Jewish woman, many relatives in Israel.
I wonder what Ethan has against Israel? They just want to live in peace. My wife has many relatives there, her cousin was almost on a bus the Palestinipigs blew up (she took it frequently to work). Then she was one plane earlier than Flight 800 (terrorist bomb or missile covered up by the FAA) to Israel. Israel is surrounded by people who want them dead.
The money benefits the defense industries of both countries.
The “Military Industrial Complex”.
Obama was giving it to an extent to promote development of anti-ballistic missile systems to deal with Iran.
But the defense industry has many friends in Washington like John McCain who promote war in the ME region as in Syria along with hatred of Russia.
Maybe their loyalties lie elsewhere and maybe next time Israel should get nothing.
Yeah, that "anti-Israel posting history" goes way back. Almost 2 or 3 days.
So what is your beef for the last two or three days ?
So now you are accusing “a group of Americans” of dual loyalties? That is the old anti-Semitic canard.
You may not have noticed, but there are many Christians on FreeRepublic who are earnest supports of Israel. They recognize its religious role, and they also recognize its strategic role as a strong and stable Western-oriented state that is technologically advanced and a staunch ally of the US. You, obviously, do not.
I see the “bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel” quote posted here by Christians, not by Jews. Do you have a religious basis for your hatred of Israel, or is it cultural?
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