 |
 |
 |
|
|
US Ambassador John Bolton deliberates before the vote. (AP)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By Associated Press November 11, 2006 |
|
| |
The United States vetoed on Saturday a U.N. Security Council draft resolution that sought to condemn an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and demand Israeli troops pull out of the territory.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the Arab-backed draft resolution was "biased against Israel and politically motivated."
"This resolution does not display an evenhanded characterization of the recent events in Gaza, nor does it advance the cause of Israeli-Palestinian peace to which we aspire and for which we are working assiduously," he told the Security Council.
The draft received 10 votes in favor and four abstentions, along with the U.S. vote against. Britain, Denmark, Japan and Slovakia all abstained.
It was the second U.S. veto this year of a Security Council draft resolution concerning Israeli military operations in Gaza. The U.S. blocked action on a document this summer after Israel launched its offensive in response to the capture of an Israeli soldier by Hamas-linked Palestinian militants.
In Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said the resolution was "very one-sided."
"It's good that it wasn't accepted by the Security Council," he said.
Palestinian U.N. observer Riyad Mansour said he was disappointed by the vote.
"You have conveyed today two wrong messages," he told the Security Council. "For Israel, you have conveyed to them they can continue to behave above international law. For the Palestinian people, you have conveyed that justice is not being dealt with in a proper way."
Ambassador Nassir Al-Nasser of Qatar, which sponsored the resolution on behalf of the Palestinians, said the failure of the Security Council to act on the draft will lead to the continuation of Israeli violence against Palestinians.
"Any lukewarm reaction or response on our part gives the impression we are shirking from our humanitarian responsibilities," Al-Nasser said.
Palestinians strengthened calls for Security Council action earlier this week after an early morning Israeli artillery barrage in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun killed 19 people Wednesday.
In an open session of the General Assembly on Thursday, Mansour called the attack "state terrorism" and said the perpetrators should be held accountable under international law for war crimes.
Israel has expressed regret for the loss of life in Beit Hanoun but has said it will continue operations to stop militants from launching rockets into Israel. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is scheduled to visit Washington on Sunday to meet with President George W. Bush.
The draft resolution had been weakened slightly in recent days to help improve its chances of passage. A section was added demanding the Palestinian Authority take immediate action to bring an end to violence, including the firing of rockets into Israel.
It also called for the U.N. secretary-general to establish a "fact-finding mission" to probe Wednesday's attack in Beit Hanoun, a step below ordering a full investigation.
In addition, it backed off calls for U.N. observers to be placed on the Gaza-Israel border, asking instead for the "possible establishment of an international mechanism for protection of the civilian populations."
But in his remarks to the Security Council, Bolton said the draft was still too one-sided. He said it compared legal Israeli military operations with the firing of rockets into Israel -- an act of terrorism. He called the fact-finding mission unnecessary and said the text failed to condemn the ruling Hamas party's refusal to renounce terrorism.
The U.S., European Union and Israel cut off funding to the Palestinian Authority in the wake of Hamas' win in parliamentary elections earlier this year. The international community has demanded Hamas reject violence, recognize Israel and honor past agreements with Israel -- conditions the group has so far refused to meet.
Palestinian leaders from the rival Hamas and Fatah groups have said they are close to an agreement on a national unity government, but the platform of the proposed government is vague on the issue of recognizing Israel and it is unclear whether it would be acceptable to the international community.
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
