U.N. Resolution on Israeli Settlements Puts Obama in Bind

yahoo, time ^ | 1/20/11 | Tony Karon

[Nachum]

It was always going to be a struggle for the U.S. to dissuade its Arab allies from going ahead with a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements. But last week's "people power" rebellion in Tunisia has made Washington's effort to lobby against the plan more difficult. Tunisia has given the autocratic leaders of countries such as Egypt and Jordan more reason to fear their own people. For those regimes, symbolically challenging unconditional U.S. support for Israel is a low-cost gesture that will play well on restive streets.

Going ahead with the resolution, which was discussed on Wednesday at the Security Council and demands an immediate halt to all Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, is, of course, a vote of no-confidence in U.S. peacemaking efforts. And it creates a headache for the Obama Administration over whether to invoke the U.S. veto - as Washington has traditionally done on Council resolutions critical of Israel. The twist this time: the substance of the resolution largely echoes the Administration's own stated positions.(See pictures of settlements in Israel.)

[Recovering_Democrat]

Oh please. Hussein hates Israel almost as much as he hates capitalism.

[nysuperdoodle]

I think it’s more like the revolt in Tunisia gives Obama cover to further distance the USA from Israel.

[SunkenCiv]

The author, Tony Karon, is just another shallow partisan media shill. Thanks Nachum.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Moose power

[cranked]

UN Resolutions are pointless and WORTHLESS.
Why?
They cannot be enforced.

Someone please tell the UN to goto Hell, kkthx. =.=

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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[Eleutheria5]

Hey, Security Council! I got your Israeli response right here, on my middle finger. From Judah and Shomron with loathing.