U.S. Abstains From UN Security Council Resolution Vote Demanding End To Settlements

Statement by Jewish Voice for Peace Executive Director Rebecca Vilkomerson on UN Security Council vote to condemn Israeli settlements.

There is an increasing understanding among U.S. political leaders, thanks to ongoing grassroots pressure, of the need to hold Israel accountable to international law.

The U.S. abstention from this resolution is a welcome sign in that regard. As the only country that abstained, the evidence of the U.S.’s isolation from the global consensus during the vote was stark.

However, halting settlement construction is a necessary but not sufficient step toward Israel changing its policies and Palestinians realizing their rights.

With President-elect Trump urging a veto of even this mild resolution, as well as his nomination of an extreme right-wing Ambassador to Israel, we are deeply concerned by increasing U.S. support for Israeli incitement, annexation and control under his administration and will redouble our efforts to organize resistance to policies based in Islamophobia, racism and disregard for even the most basic rights of Palestinians.