 This file photo shows members of the United Nations Security Council raise their hands for a vote. AP photo |
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.
In another move for international recognition, Palestinians raised their flag over the PLO diplomatic mission in Washington for the first time on Tuesday. 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, including Palestinian issues. 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. "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."
The resolution also calls on Israel and the Palestinians to continue negotiations to wrap up final issues by September 2011 as called for by the so-called Quartet of Mideast peacemakers - the U.S., the U.N., the European Union and Russia. It said international and regional diplomatic efforts should be intensified to support and invigorate the peace process.
Israel did not participate in the Security Council debate Wednesday because of a labor dispute involving Israeli foreign service employees, the country's mission to the U.N. said.
But in Jerusalem, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev suggested the proposed resolution was counterproductive and pointed out that the Palestinians in the past committed to direct talks.
U.S.-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, launched in September, quickly broke down over Israel's refusal to extend a 10-month moratorium on housing starts in West Bank settlements and to include east Jerusalem, both claimed by the Palestinians, along with the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians have said they will not resume talks unless settlement construction is halted.
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.
In another move for international recognition, Palestinians raised their flag over the PLO diplomatic mission in Washington for the first time on Tuesday. 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, including Palestinian issues. 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. "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."
The resolution also calls on Israel and the Palestinians to continue negotiations to wrap up final issues by September 2011 as called for by the so-called Quartet of Mideast peacemakers - the U.S., the U.N., the European Union and Russia. It said international and regional diplomatic efforts should be intensified to support and invigorate the peace process.
Israel did not participate in the Security Council debate Wednesday because of a labor dispute involving Israeli foreign service employees, the country's mission to the U.N. said.
But in Jerusalem, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev suggested the proposed resolution was counterproductive and pointed out that the Palestinians in the past committed to direct talks.
U.S.-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, launched in September, quickly broke down over Israel's refusal to extend a 10-month moratorium on housing starts in West Bank settlements and to include east Jerusalem, both claimed by the Palestinians, along with the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians have said they will not resume talks unless settlement construction is halted.
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