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B’nai B’rith International strongly urges the United Nations Security Council to reject the biased resolution recently proposed by the Palestinian Authority that would single out Israeli settlements as a focus of condemnation.  If necessary, the United States should employ its veto power to defeat this harmful resolution.

In previous remarks, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said “We don’t see action in the United Nations or any other forum as being helpful in bringing about that desired outcome,” and went on to note that the United States is “working to keep the focus where we think it needs to be, and that’s not in New York.”

The Palestinians’ eagerness to force this resolution on the world body represents an attempt to further isolate Israel and, if passed, will circumvent direct, bilateral peace talks toward a secure two-state solution. The Palestinian Authority’s resistance to engagement in direct negotiations, and its reliance on outside parties to impose terms on Israel, will not bring lasting peace to the Middle East.

In a letter sent to members of the Security Council, B’nai B’rith International President Dennis W. Glick and Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin called for the Palestinian Authority to end its obstructionism, and warned of the impact of this detrimental resolution on the State of Israel:

“For the Israeli public, the passage of this kind of resolution will only further confirm the concern that the United Nations is not willing to approach the conflict in a fair and constructive manner.”

The letter also outlined the negative result of this vote on the fragile peace process:

“On the Palestinian side, the passage of this resolution will encourage the leadership to continue to avoid negotiations by providing the false hope that resolution of all of the complicated final-status issues will simply be imposed on Israel by the international community.”

It is only through dedicated and deliberate Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, conducted with willingness to compromise, that peace can be truly and effectively achieved. Any attempt to force the issue on the parties by the United Nations can only further exacerbate tensions and distrust, and provide obstacles to future peaceful relations.