UN to vote on bid to halt Israeli settlements

THE UN Security Council was yesterday set to vote on a draft resolution demanding that Israel stop building settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The draft resolution, circulated by Egypt, stated that Israel should “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem”.

According to the draft, the settlements have “no legal validity” and violate international law.

Before the vote, Israel urged the US to prevent the council from adopting the document.

“The US should veto the anti-Israel resolution at the UN Security Council,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on Twitter.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last year stressed the need for urgent adoption of the UN draft resolution condemning Israeli settlements. The US vetoed a similar resolution in 2011.

Early this month, it was announced that the Arab countries had completed work on a draft resolution condemning the Israeli settlement activities as illegal.

More than 500 000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to UN figures.

The settlements are considered illegal by the UN, and West Bank territory is considered occupied territory by the International Court of Justice. The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

Israeli UN ambassador, Danny Danon, said he expected “our greatest ally” to sink the resolution, which condemns the settlements as a hurdle to implementing the twostate solution.

The resolution comes amid the announcement last week that David Friedman, who has said that he does not think Israeli settlement activity is illegal, was named as the future US ambassador to Israel.

US President Barack Obama called for a settlement freeze upon taking office in 2009.