U.S. stops U.N. criticism of Israel
UNITED NATIONS, April 13 (UPI) -- The United States has blocked a U.N. Security Council attempt to criticize Israel for attacks last weekend against the Palestinians.
The Israelis had said they were responding to Palestinian attacks.
"After lengthy deliberation we have concluded there will be no presidential statement on recent developments in the Middle East, which I think is the correct result," U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, told reporters on emerging from a closed door session of the panel of 15 Thursday evening.
Such a statement is reached by consensus rather than a vote and is read out to reporters, while a presidential statement is a U.N. document read out in the formal council chamber.
"The United State is very much of the view that the draft text was not fair and balanced and consistent with our longstanding policy that we are not prepared to support text that distorts the reality in the region," Bolton said. "So, we did reject it."
Since the United States, as one of the five permanent members of the council, holds veto power. It meant an informal death to the statement, which, could be converted into a resolution and put to a vote carried out in the chamber where the United States could then cast a veto.
But sponsors of the measure, Qatar, representing Arab members of the United Nations, opted instead for a formal meeting of the council Monday afternoon to "debate" the issue without a vote, meaning all 191 U.N. members are eligible to speak.
The Israelis had said they were responding to Palestinian attacks.
"After lengthy deliberation we have concluded there will be no presidential statement on recent developments in the Middle East, which I think is the correct result," U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, told reporters on emerging from a closed door session of the panel of 15 Thursday evening.
Such a statement is reached by consensus rather than a vote and is read out to reporters, while a presidential statement is a U.N. document read out in the formal council chamber.
"The United State is very much of the view that the draft text was not fair and balanced and consistent with our longstanding policy that we are not prepared to support text that distorts the reality in the region," Bolton said. "So, we did reject it."
Since the United States, as one of the five permanent members of the council, holds veto power. It meant an informal death to the statement, which, could be converted into a resolution and put to a vote carried out in the chamber where the United States could then cast a veto.
But sponsors of the measure, Qatar, representing Arab members of the United Nations, opted instead for a formal meeting of the council Monday afternoon to "debate" the issue without a vote, meaning all 191 U.N. members are eligible to speak.
posted by Hanan Elbadry at 12:19 PM
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