Palestinians demonstrate against the U.S. for vetoing the Arab-backed UN Security Council resolution against Jewish settlements in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Feb. 20, 2011.
AP Photo

"It Ain't Cricket: World 130, United States 1"

Op-Ed, The Huffington Post

February 22, 2011

Author: Charles G. Cogan, Associate, International Security Program

Belfer Center Programs or Projects: International Security

Yes, that was the implicit imbalance behind the failed vote in the UN on February 18, 2011, that would have described as "illegal" Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, while reiterating demands that all settlement activity should cease immediately.

Although it was a UN Security Council ballot, and the vote was 14 to 1, the resolution itself had been sponsored beforehand by 130 member countries. Can all these countries be wrong? The British certainly don't consider themselves to be, as Foreign Secretary William Hague stated during the debate: "Today the UK voted with others, including France and Germany, to reinforce... our longstanding view that settlements, including in East Jerusalem, are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and constitute a threat to a two-state solution."

The United States, which earlier had called for an end of Israeli settlement activity, then renounced the effort....

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