UNITED NATIONS – Palestinian diplomats found international support Wednesday for their complaint that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory are illegal, but the U.S. strongly opposed bringing the matter up in the U.N. Security Council.

During a council session that lasted most of the day, representatives of dozens of countries supported Palestinian complaints about continued construction of settlements while peace efforts falter.

Although a draft council resolution circulated on the matter never came to a vote Wednesday — and would surely have failed because of U.S. objections — the Palestinians drew renewed attention to their grievances in a campaign to isolate and pressure the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Early in Wednesday’s U.N. session, the U.S., among five permanent members on the 15-country council with veto power, signaled it would not back the resolution sponsored by Lebanon. An additional 122 countries signed on as co-sponsors.

It was presented as the council engaged in open debate on the Middle East.

It is unclear when a vote on the matter may be scheduled, but Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian observer to the U.N., suggested it may not be considered for some time.

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“If it was up to us, we would love to see the Security Council acting on it immediately,” Mansour said during a session break, acknowledging that U.S. opposition would make it difficult.

Key Middle East peace issues “can be resolved only through negotiations between the parties — and not by recourse to the Security Council,” said Rosemary A. DiCarlo, deputy U.S. representative to the U.N. “We therefore consistently oppose attempts to take these issues to this council.”

But DiCarlo said the U.S. remains committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if agreed to by both parties.

The proposed resolution reiterates demands that Israel halt all settlement building in Palestinian territory. It says that settlements built in occupied territory since 1967, including disputed East Jerusalem, “are illegal and constitute a major obstacle to … a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.”

 


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