Palestinians seek UN resolution on Israeli settlements

 The Palestinians are discussing a new draft UN resolution with Arab countries to confront Israel over its continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, the Palestinian ambassador said Friday.

The UN Security Council failed in 2011 to adopt such a resolution after the United States used its veto to block the measure branding the building of Jewish settlements on Palestinian territory as "illegal."

Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour said the resolution would clarify the Security Council position on settlements, which the United Nations says are undermining the two-state solution in which Israel and Palestine would be recognized.

Security Council ambassadors have condemned Israeli settlements as either illegal or illegitimate, and an obstacle to peace, but the council as a whole has not taken a stance.

"We've been saying that if that is the assessment of the Security Council, then it is the responsibility of the Security Council to take action to stop settlement activity," Mansour told AFP.

"We feel that this has to materialize in some form of action," he said, adding: "If you give the prognosis, you have to tell us what the medicine would be."

Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon swiped down the proposed resolution, calling it an attempt "to deceive the international community by putting forward initiatives that do nothing to better the lives of either side of this conflict."

"The Palestinians must understand that there are no shortcuts. The only way to promote negotiations starts by them condemning terrorism and stopping the incitement, and ends with direct negotiations between the two sides," said Danon in a statement.

- French initiative -

Talks on the draft resolution were ongoing among Arab countries, with Security Council member Egypt expected to take the lead if the draft resolution is presented for a vote.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is to travel to New York later this month to sign the Paris climate accord on April 22 and hold talks on a new French push for peace.

Abbas will be in Paris on April 15 to meet with French President Francois Hollande before heading to Moscow and Berlin for talks on reviving the peace process.

"If the Security Council acts, it would be helping tremendously the French initiative," said Mansour.

But in a clear reference to the United States, he added: "Those responsible for denying the Security Council from acting would be responsible for not helping to remove this major obstacle from the path of peace."

France launched an effort earlier this year to host an international conference to revive peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Israel's continued construction of settlements has long been a major bone of contention in efforts to revive the peace process with the Palestinians, which has been comatose since April 2014.

An upsurge of Israeli-Palestinian violence since October has killed 200 Palestinians and 28 Israelis.

The Security Council has not adopted a resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process since 2009.
Source: AFP