NEW YORK (Press Release)–The Anti-Defamation League has called on the U.S. government to “unambiguously declare” that it would veto a United Nations Security Council Resolution on the issue of settlements if it is presented to the council for a vote.
The resolution, being promoted by the Palestinian Authority, is the latest step in an escalation of their ongoing campaign to circumvent internationally recognized obligations to negotiate directly with Israel to reach a final peace agreement.
In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the League called the settlements resolution more than counterproductive, saying it is part of an approach that is “corrosive to the Middle East Peace Process.”
“The United States has clearly expressed its strong opposition to the harshly one-sided draft resolution put forth on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and circulated among members of the Security Council. It now time for the U.S. to unambiguously declare it will veto the resolution if it is brought to the council for a vote,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.
“The Palestinian leadership has stubbornly refused to return to direct negotiations with Israel, choosing instead to ratchet up its ongoing campaign to circumvent internationally recognized obligations to negotiate directly with Israel to reach a final peace agreement and publicly challenging the U. S. not to veto the resolution,” added Foxman. “It is time to close the door on those who are willfully pursuing tactics which will derail rather than promote the peace process and to announce a ‘zero tolerance’ policy for such efforts.”
The League’s letter to Secretary Clinton stated: “We hope that a policy statement of zero-tolerance for these actions will convince the Palestinian leadership and others not to expend their time on these detrimental activities and to re-direct their efforts toward good-faith negotiations with the Government of Israel.”
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Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the StandWithUs organization has issued an action alert to its membership and friends, urging them to write, email, and phone the offices of President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice calling for a veto of the Palestinian resolution.
A message from StandWithUs declared: “The Palestinian leadership has refused to return to the negotiating table. Now, Palestinians are actively trying to bypass negotiations altogether and instead get the international community to grant their maximal demands. They are urging the UN Security Council (UNSC) to pass a resolution that declares all Israeli settlements are ‘illegal’ and that condemns any continued building activity, including in eastern Jerusalem.