Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Senators to Obama: Continue vetoing anti-Israel UN resolutions

A group of 88 senators on Monday signed a bipartisan letter urging President Barack Obama to maintain the long-standing U.S. policy of vetoing any one-sided United Nations Security Council resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian Arab issue.

The letter, initiated by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mike Rounds (R-SD), cites Obama's 2011 General Assembly address in which he said, "Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations."

“As you prepare to attend the United Nations General Assembly, we write to address the issue of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations,” the senators wrote in the letter.

“At a time of great challenges in the Middle East, we are disappointed that talks between Israelis and Palestinians remain stalled,” they added, then said, “The only way to resolve the conflicts between the two is through direct negotiations that lead to a sustainable two-state solution with a future state of Palestine living in peace and security with Israel. This outcome would provide Israel with greater security and strengthen regional stability. We remain optimistic that, under the right circumstances, Israelis and Palestinians can successfully resume productive negotiations toward this goal.

“Your administration has consistently upheld the longstanding U.S. policy of opposing — and if necessary vetoing — one-sided UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions,” the senators wrote, adding, "The only way to resolve the conflicts between the two is through direct negotiations." READ MORE