UNITED NATIONS: Palestinian supporters have circulated a draft UN resolution that would reject the recently launched US plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying it violates international law and Security Council demands for a two-state solution based on borders before the 1967 Mideast war.
The resolution, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, could be put to a vote on Feb. 11 when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to address the Security Council and deliver his government鈥檚 objections to the Israeli-backed US peace plan. If a vote is held, the resolution is virtually certain to be vetoed by the United States.
The US plan, unveiled by President Donald Trump on Jan. 28, envisions a disjointed Palestinian state that turns over key parts of the West Bank to Israel, siding with Israel on key contentious issues including borders and the status of Jerusalem and Jewish settlements.
The Palestinians seek all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem 鈥� areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war 鈥� for an independent state and the removal of many of the more than 700,000 Israeli settlers from these areas.
But under terms of the 鈥減eace vision鈥� that Trump鈥檚 son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner worked on for nearly three years, all Israeli settlers would remain in place, and Israel would retain sovereignty over all of its settlements as well as the strategic Jordan Valley.
Kushner is expected to present the plan to Security Council members at a private lunch Thursday hosted by the US Mission to the United Nations.
Dismissing the plan as 鈥渘onsense,鈥� Abbas declared: 鈥淲e say 1,000 no鈥檚 to the 鈥楧eal of the Century,鈥欌€� using a nickname for Trump鈥檚 proposal.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, who stood beside Trump when the plan was announced, called it a 鈥渉istoric breakthrough鈥� equal in significance to the country鈥檚 declaration of independence in 1948. He said it provided a green light for annexation of large parts of the occupied West Bank.
The proposed resolution, drafted by Indonesia and Tunisia, condemns recent Israeli statements calling for annexation 鈥渙f areas of the occupied Palestinian territory鈥� and stresses 鈥渢he illegality鈥� of any annexation.
It also reaffirms that all Israeli settlements and other measures 鈥渁imed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including east Jerusalem, are illegal and imperil the viability of a two-state solution.鈥�
The draft emphasizes the need to preserve 鈥渢he territorial integrity, contiguity and unity of the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.鈥�
It reiterates the call to achieve lasting peace 鈥渨ithout delay鈥� based on UN resolutions dating back to 1967. It would also give the Security Council鈥檚 鈥渦nwavering support鈥� to a two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace based on pre-1967 borders.
The proposed resolution calls on all 193 UN member nations to comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions 鈥� and 鈥渘ot to render aid or assistance to illegal settlement activities鈥� or recognize any actions or measures that might imply Israeli sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territories.
It would also express the council鈥檚 determination 鈥渢o examine practical ways and means to secure the full implementation of its relevant resolutions, including enforcement measures under Chapter 7 of the (UN) Charter.鈥�
Chapter 7 provides for both military and non-military enforcement measures.