US Opposes UN Condemnation of Israeli Settler West Bank Violence

(MENAFN) In a departure from the majority of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, the United States refrained from denouncing illegal Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank and also resisted calls for briefings on Resolution 2334, which addresses Israel’s expanding illegal settlements in the region.

US representative Jennifer Locetta, the State Department’s deputy envoy for special political affairs, accused the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) of links to Hamas, asserting that "it rejects any reasonable standards for accountability for the vetting of its staff or partners."

"Colleagues, we have been clear: the United States opposes these quarterly briefings on UNSCR 2334, as they only distract from pressing threats to international peace and security," Locetta added, emphasizing Washington’s stance against revisiting the resolution.

She maintained that Resolution 2803, adopted last month to endorse the October Gaza peace plan agreed upon by Israel and Hamas—not Resolution 2334—"charts the path towards a stable, safe, and prosperous Middle East.” She further explained: “We are working with partners to stand up the (planned) International Stabilization Force and train fully vetted Palestinian Police, not rehashing decades of failed policies. This council should recognize and end its outsized focus on an outdated resolution."

Locetta concluded by reiterating that "the United States remains focused on keeping Israel secure and Gaza and the West Bank stable. President (Donald) Trump has been perfectly clear that the United States expects the violence in the West Bank to end, and that the United States will not allow the annexation of the West Bank."

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