Disagreements between the United Nations and Israel over Israel’s settlement activity are nothing new. In just one example, back in 2013, a report by the UN Human Rights Council called Israeli settlements in the occupied territories a violation of Palestinians’ human rights.
This latest skirmish between Israel and the world body comes with an unusual twist. Amid cries that it was abandoning its staunch ally, the United States declined to use its veto – choosing instead to abstain from a resolution declaring that Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem had quote “no legal validity” and constituted a “flagrant violation under international law.”
Meanwhile, in the United States, President-elect Donald Trump condemned the Obama administration’s actions – tweeting that things will be different once he takes office on Jan. 20. Prime Minister Netanyahu appears to be looking forward to that, as well. What can be expected in terms of bilateral relations and the prospects for peace?
For more on the controversy and how it will impact the peace process in the Middle East, CGTN’s Stephanie Freid reports from Tel Aviv.
Tonight’s panel takes on the future of the Middle East peace process and where the region is now:
- Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar with The Arab Gulf States Institute
- Amotz Asa-El, senior commentator with The Jerusalem Post
- Perry Cammack, a fellow with the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace