Free Republic

The U.N. General Assembly has agreed to fund the compiling of a first-ever U.N. blacklist of private companies doing business in territories disputed between Israel and the Palestinians. A Palestinian U.N. delegate explained earlier that the goal was to encourage countries to boycott such companies.

‘I think this was clearly intended to do much more than affect the issue of Israeli settlements’ HENRY: “Let’s bring in John Bolton, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Good evening, ambassador, Merry Christmas. I wonder do you believe this was President Obama stabbing the prime minister, and Israel by extension, in the back.” BOLTON: “No I think he was stabbing Israel in the front. I think this was clearly intended to do much more than affect the issue of Israeli settlements. I think when you read the text of the resolution carefully, it’s an implicit repeal of...

An Egyptian paper published what it claims are the transcripts of meetings between top US and Palestinian officials that, if true, would corroborate Israeli accusations that the Obama administration was behind last week’s UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements. At the same time, a report in an Israeli daily Tuesday night pointed to Britain helping draft the resolution and high drama in the hours leading up to the vote, as Jerusalem tried to convince New Zealand to bury the Security Council measure. In a meeting in early December with top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, US Secretary of State John...

Prior to the UN Security Council vote on anti-Israeli settlement resolution 2334, US Secretary of State John Kerry met with a Palestinian delegation in early December in Washington to discuss the draft, agreeing to cooperate, according to transcripts released by Egyptian daily Al-Youm Al-Saba'a. According to the report, Kerry along with US National Security Adviser Susan Rice, met with Secretary General of the PLO Executive Committee Saeb Erkat and Majed Faraj, head of the Palestinian Authority's General Intelligence Service. The reported transcripts reflect statements by numerous Israeli officials claiming that the resolution was orchestrated by the Obama administration. The source...

J’lem concerned PA may not want even indirect talks without freeze; Fayyad says Palestinians seeking state, not just another declaration. The Palestinian Authority was looking to Arab League foreign ministers who met on Wednesday night in Cairo to “tie its hands” and not authorize even proximity talks until Israel freezes settlement construction, Israeli government officials said. And, indeed, the Arab League obliged, with the ministers speaking out against any talks – direct or indirect – unless the US takes a firm stance on the future borders of a Palestinian state. “The negotiation track between the Palestinians and Israelis is futile....