Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations called on the United States, Wednesday, to “unequivocally affirm” that it would veto any one-sided condemnatory United Nations Security Council resolution on the Palestinian Authority-Israeli issue if it is presented to the Council for a vote.
Stephen M. Greenberg, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, of the Conference of Presidents said, “The resolutions, one being promoted by the Palestinians, and another presented by New Zealand, represent the latest misguided effort to enlist the Security Council to provide an escape route for the Palestinians to evade their obligations to negotiate directly with Israel to reach a final agreement ending the conflict. We have seen this kind of evasive maneuver by the Palestinians before."
Citing statements by US ambassadors to the UN accompanying vetoes in 2011 and 2014, a statement from the conference said, "Since that time, the Palestinians have intensified their tactics of using the UN and it agencies as a shield to deflect, delay and, perhaps destroy the possibility of, direct engagement in negotiations with Israel. Today, on the eve of a new U.S. administration, is not the time to alter the course of a sound and consistent U.S. policy at the U.N. Security Council. It is a time to reiterate and emphasize the approach that has preserved the possibility for the parties themselves to directly tackle the issues that will lead to a comprehensive agreement ending the conflict. We would add that allowing the proposed resolutions to be adopted will also unduly restrict the incoming administration’s ability to pursue policies to advance peace and encourage the parties to deal directly with each other.”