US opposes UN bid to denounce Israeli settlements

The US on Thursday voiced opposition to a proposed UN Security Council resolution that would demand Israel end settlements in the occupied territories, despite Washington's criticism of its ally on the issue.

Days ahead of a Security Council meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a draft resolution seen by AFP would demand that Israel "immediately and completely cease" settlement activities in occupied Palestinian areas.

The text comes after nearly unanimous criticism among major powers including the US against a decision by Israel's hard-right government to give retroactive permission to multiple settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank and to build new homes.

The White House said Thursday it was "deeply dismayed" by the Israeli decision.

But the State Department made clear that the US, which wields veto power at the Security Council, would not back the resolution reportedly initiated by the United Arab Emirates, a US ally which has normalised relations with Israel.

"Our view is that the introduction of this resolution was unhelpful in supporting the conditions necessary to advance the negotiations of a two-state solution, just like we believe that the news out of Israel on Sunday was unhelpful," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said, referring to Israel's settlement decision.

He stopped short of saying whether the US would exercise its veto – which would be the first under Biden, who has accused Russia of abusing its veto power.

"I'm just not going to speculate or hypothesise on the process," Patel told reporters in Washington.

"We remain focused on supporting the conditions necessary to advance the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians which (in) our belief is the only path to a sustainable end to the conflict," he said.

The US has for decades intervened at the United Nations to protect Israel from resolutions.

But in the last weeks of former president Barack Obama's administration, Washington abstained and let through a resolution that also called for a halt to all Israeli settlement activity.

The Biden administration has sought to preserve ties with newly returned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even while criticising the settlement decision.

US officials hope that pressure from Arab states such as the United Arab Emirates can encourage greater moderation from Netanyahu, who considered winning greater normalisation for Israel one of his key achievements.

'Flagrant violation' 

The UN resolution, still in draft form, "reaffirms that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law."

It also "condemns all attempts at annexation, including decisions and measures by Israel regarding settlements, including settlement outposts," and calls for their immediate reversal.

The text by the Security Council "reiterates its demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and that it fully respect all of its legal obligations in this regard."

The Security Council is scheduled to meet Monday to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian situation, but it remains unclear whether the draft will be presented for a vote, according to diplomats.

Israel's foreign ministry described the text as "another cynical Palestinian attempt to turn to international bodies, instead of dealing with the wave of terror."

In a letter to the Security Council, Israel's UN ambassador Gilad Erdan called on the international community "to condemn the latest terror attacks against Israeli civilians in the strongest and unequivocal terms," and accused the Palestinian Authority of having "encouraged and applauded" the "abhorrent crimes."

On Sunday, Israel's security cabinet announced it would legalise nine settlements in the occupied West Bank, following a series of recent attacks on Israelis in  Jerusalem.