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Egypt’s FM explains reason behind withdrawing UN resolution on
Egypt’s FM explains reason behind withdrawing UN resolution on Palestine
The 15-member council adopted the resolution by a vote of 14 in favour with
one abstention – the United States
Ahram Online , Saturday 24 Dec 2016
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/253770/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-FM-explains-reason-behind-withdrawing-UN-re.aspx
Egypt’s foreign affairs ministry said in a Saturday statement that the
country withdrew a UN Security Council resolution on illegal Israeli
settlements on Palestinian territory because it was not sure that it had a
chance at passing.
On Friday, the resolution, which stipulates that the establishment of
Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 has “no
legal validity,” was reintroduced by Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal and
Venezuela and put into vote.
The 15-member council adopted the resolution by a vote of 14 in favour with
one abstention – the United States.
“Egypt wanted more time to make sure that no country would use its veto
power to block the resolution, especially after US president elect [Donald
Trump] called on the current US administration to veto the resolution,” the
statement read.
On Friday, Egypt’s foreign affairs ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu-Zeid told
Dream TV that “Egypt did not realise that the consultations reached [by the
UN's member states] were enough to pass the resolution.”
He affirmed that Egypt is a main partner with the international community in
dealing with the Palestinian cause, which is not limited to settlements, but
also includes other issues such as borders and refugees.
The spokesman added that when Egypt realised that the US’s next
administration wanted to work with Egypt on resolving the issue, it had to
carefully weigh everything.
“Perhaps putting forward the resolution could have been, in one way or
another, an obstacle to Egypt in its main role [of championing the
Palestinian cause,]” Abu-Zeid stated.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Reuters on Friday that “this
is a day of victory for international law, a victory for civilized language
and negotiation and a total rejection of extremist forces in Israel.”
“The international community has told the people of Israel that the way to
security and peace is not going to be done through occupation … but rather
through peace, ending the occupation and establishing a Palestinian state to
live side by side with the state of Israel on the 1967 line,” Erekat said.
Source: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=71931
