Obama Rejects Trump’s Veto Advice On UN’s Israel/Palestinian Resolution

Outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama has explained why his administration rejected incoming President Donald Trump’s advice on the Friday’s UN Security Council’s resolution on Israeli settlements on Palestinian territory.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in a statement issued on Friday, said that the U.S. action was predicated on preserving the possibility of a two-State solution to the protracted Israeli-Palestine conflict.

The Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York, reports that Trump had on Thursday, pressured the U.S. to veto the Security Council’s Resolution initially sponsored by Egypt.

Following the pressure that Trump also reportedly put on the sponsor of the resolution, Egypt withdrew it and the vote was consequently delayed till Friday.

However, the resolution was put forward on Friday by Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal and Venezuela and the 15-member Council adopted the resolution by a vote of 14 in favour and with one abstention – the U.S., which abstained from voting rather than veto the resolution.

“Today, the U.S. acted with one primary objective in mind: to preserve the possibility of the two state solution, which every U.S. administration for decades has agreed is the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

“Two states is the only way to ensure Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state, living in peace and security with its neighbors, and freedom and dignity for the Palestinian people.

“That future is now in jeopardy, with terrorism, violence and incitement continuing and unprecedented steps to expand settlements being advanced by avowed opponents of the two state solution.

“That is why we cannot in good conscience stand in the way of a resolution at the United Nations that makes clear that both sides must act now to preserve the possibility of peace,’