The Palestinians said that all of the UN Security Council members except the United States will condemn Israel's recent announcements of new settlement construction which are making a two-state solution more difficult to achieve. Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour said on Tuesday the 14 other council members will tell reporters after the council's monthly Mideast meeting on Wednesdaythat continuing settlement activity is illegal and must be stopped. The United States delivered a rare blunt rebuke to Israel, its top Mideast ally, on Tuesday for its new settlement construction, but Mansour said the Obama administration won't approve a Security Council resolution or statement.
He said there is near global unanimity against Israel's actions, pointing to the 169-6 vote in the General Assembly on Tuesday on a non-binding resolution condemning settlement activities by Israel and demanding their immediate cessation.
‘Unfortunately, one powerful country with veto power does not want the Security Council to act accordingly,’ Mansour said. ‘Therefore, the 14 other countries in the Security Council, in their own creative way, will make their position clear, collectively or separately, to the media outside the chamber on Wednesday.’ He said the four West European council members Germany, France, Britain and Portugal would issue a statement of condemnation.
He said there is near global unanimity against Israel's actions, pointing to the 169-6 vote in the General Assembly on Tuesday on a non-binding resolution condemning settlement activities by Israel and demanding their immediate cessation.
‘Unfortunately, one powerful country with veto power does not want the Security Council to act accordingly,’ Mansour said. ‘Therefore, the 14 other countries in the Security Council, in their own creative way, will make their position clear, collectively or separately, to the media outside the chamber on Wednesday.’ He said the four West European council members Germany, France, Britain and Portugal would issue a statement of condemnation.