United Nations Security Council postponed a vote on a draft resolution demanding to halt Israeli settlement activities as US president-elect Donald Trump weighed in and urged the United States to veto the measure.
The resolution proposed by Egypt called for Israel to stop building new settlements, which is illegal under International law.
The move prompted Israeli officials to contact Trump transition team to intervene, Reuters quoted an Israeli official as saying.
Donald Trump said in a statement that USA should use its veto to block the resolution.
“The resolution being considered at the United Nations Security Council regarding Israel should be vetoed,” Trump said in a statement.
“The United States has long maintained peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations,” he added.
Following an intense Semitic campaign against them, Egypt requested a delay on the resolution to allow time for consultations. The new time or date for the schedule was not scheduled.
Egyptian President Abdel al-Sisi also spoke to Trump by telephone. In a statement, Sisi’s office said the two leaders had agreed the new US administration should be given a chance to deal with the issue, BBC reported.
According to fourth Geneva Convention, persons protected by the Convention are those who, at a given moment and in any manner whatsoever, find themselves, in case of a conflict or occupation, in the hands of a Party to the conflict or Occupying Power of which they are not nationals.
Israel is a signatory of the convention. The illegal settlement by Israel clearly violated the Article 4(a) of the Geneva Convention as Israel conquered a territory that was inhabited by civilians who are not Israeli citizens and also Israel violated the Article 49 (6) of the Convention which says the Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.
