US Veto on Jewish Settlement Resolution

The United States has vetoed the resolution in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in which the construction of Jewish settlements in occupied areas by Israel were termed unauthorized. It is pertinent to note that Israel continues to build unauthorized Jewish settlements ever since 1967 in occupied areas. It has also been constantly rejecting all appeals and international pressure in this regard.

It is also noteworthy that soon after Barack Obama took over as US President, the United States continued to pretend that it was striving to get the Middle East issue resolved but it turned out to be a mere ploy. It was under this ploy that the peace dialogue between the Palestine Authority and Israel was resumed. The entire world is aware of what progress this dialogue made, of what extent Israel was made to accept the establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian state, and what change Israel has made in its stance on the construction of Jewish settlements in occupied areas.

Wrath and Indignation
As far as unauthorized Jewish settlement is concerned, Israel had held up the work for some time just prior to resumption of peace talks. But just before the commencement of talks, it announced that it would go ahead with construction work. At this, the United States has expressed great wrath and indignation. It had given the impression that the construction of these unauthorized colonies may also adversely affect US-Israel relations. During the same time, the US vice president, who was on a visit to the Middle East, adopted a hard attitude against Israel and astonished it. Later, however, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, by way of appeasing Israel as usual, said that relations between the United States and Israel would in no way be affected. Both the United States and Europe chide Israel just for the sake of it.

The United States had also adopted the stance on justification of these colonies that their construction is wrong and also illegal. Yet, one can easily comprehend the duality in the US stand that while the US leadership talks about Palestinians' rights, endorses and supports peace talks, pretends to prevent Israel from construction of illegal colonies, and enacts the drama of exerting pressure in this regard, when the resolution to declare Jewish colonies as illegal was moved in the UNSC, the very same United States vetoed it.

Suspension of Peace Talks
The resolution declares that Jewish settlements constructed after 1967 are illegal. Of the 15 members on the UNSC, 14 voted in its favor and demanded that Israel should forthwith stop construction of these colonies, but vetoing the proposal, the United States came out with a ridiculous argument that it would be adversely affect the peace talks.

The US argument is untenable and has no justification, as it is the issue of these unauthorized colonies that is actually hampering the peace talks the most. The Palestine Authority has suspended peace talks on the plea that Israel continues to construct new colonies in occupied areas. The Palestine Authority is considered to be pro-United States, and both the United States and Israel have intentionally kept the representative organization of Palestine, HAMAS, out of the peace process. Despite it, not only has Palestine suspended the peace talks with Israel, but has also expressed great frustration that the United States has vetoed the resolution in the UNSC. It has categorically asserted that this would damage the cause of peace.

Pro-Israel US Stance
It is clear from the attitude that Palestine has adopted on the argument put up by the United States that the US stand indirectly favors Israel's stand in respect of these colonies, and that it goes to prove the pro-Israel US stance. It is a different issue that to hoodwink the world, the United States even now maintains that it is strongly against construction of Jewish settlements in occupied areas.

Undoubtedly, the fresh US initiative has proved yet again that the United Nations has turned into an institution kept hostage by the United States, and the United Nations has failed to fulfill its responsibilities.