Editorials

US favoritism hurts peace

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-02-23 07:46

The US veto against a United Nations draft resolution condemning Israel's settlement activities is a dual blow to both the Middle East peace process and its own credibility as a major mediator in the region.

On Feb 18, the United States, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, vetoed an Arab-initiated Council draft resolution condemning Israel's construction of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as an obstacle to peace.

The US' decision immediately aroused fury among the Arab world as well as censure from many members of the international community.

Aside from the US, all the other 14 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the draft resolution, co-sponsored by more than 120 UN members. This is evidence of the fact that the US has acted against the will of the majority of world countries.

Israel's continuous attempts to construct such settlements have become a major obstacle to mutual trust and the resumption of the peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis. Direct peace negotiations between the two sides came to a standstill in late September after Israel's refusal to extend a self-imposed 10-month freeze on settlement construction.

Since then, the Palestinians have conditioned their return to negotiations on a complete halt to settlement activities in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Now, with a major UN resolution condemning Israel's settlement activities being blocked, the gaps between the Palestinians and Israelis will certainly grow wider.

The international community will find it increasingly difficult to persuade the two sides back to the negotiating table. This will constitute a major setback in peace and could escalate tensions in the already troubled region.

At a time when massive protests are sweeping several countries in the Middle East, the repercussions from the US veto could exacerbate tensions between the Palestinians and Israelis and make the region more unstable than it already is.

The US veto is seen by many as protecting Israel, a long-standing US ally in the region. Buoyed by the US support, Israel will become more blatant in continuing their settlement activities.

And the veto will undoubtedly lead to a deterioration in US-Palestinian ties, which the Obama administration has made efforts to build.

The administration has reiterated its commitment to pursuing a comprehensive and lasting peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

However, its favoritism toward Israel, as shown by its recent veto, belies such words.

This will undermine the US' credibility as a major peace broker in the region and make the US increasingly isolated in the international community, which overwhelmingly opposes Israel's construction of the separation wall and settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

(China Daily 02/23/2011 page8)