There is “unequivocal evidence'”that Obama conspired with the Palestinians on the recent anti-Israel UNSC resolution, Netanyahu reiterated.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday again accused the Obama administration of colluding with the Palestinians against the Jewish state when it abstained last month from the anti-Israel United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution , saying there is “unequivocal evidence” that the US led the initiative.
“We have unequivocal evidence that the Security Council resolution passed in the UN against Israel was led by the [Obama] administration,” Netanyahu told a visiting American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) delegation. “There’s no question whatsoever about that – none whatsoever.”
The White House denied the allegations, and Israel has not publicly provided evidence to back them up, saying they will provide the proof to the Trump administration.
Netanyahu further charged that the move violated US policies held by previous administrations.
“This resolution, as you know, speaks about all territory beyond the ’67 lines as occupied Palestinian territory. This is a major break with US policy,” Netanyahu explained.
The resolution referred to several areas, such as eastern Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, as “occupied Palestinian territory.”
Netanyahu quoted former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, who stated in 1994 that the US opposes “the specific references to Jerusalem in this resolution and will continue to oppose its insertion in future resolutions. We simply do not support the description of the territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 war as occupied Palestinian territory.”
“So obviously there is a break, there’s a substantive break with previous US policy,” Netanyahu stated. “The United States said that all matters pertaining to a final settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would not be addressed, as you know, in the Security Council, or under UN resolutions, and that is also a breach of that policy.”
The Israeli leader also expressed concern that US President Barack Obama will again act against Israel before leaving office.
“We’re concerned that there may be a repetition of this,” Netanyahu told the AIPAC visitors. “We’re doing our best – we hope you’ll do your best to exert the influence so that it doesn’t happen, because it pushes peace further away.”
In an interview with Israeli TV program “Uvda” broadcast Tuesday, Obama said that Israel’s accusations “may work well with deflecting attention from the problem of settlements, they may play well with Bibi’s political base, as well as the Republican base here in the United States, but they don’t match up with the facts.”
Obama defended his decision to have the US abstain rather than veto the anti-Israel resolution, claiming, “I believe it was the best move for peace.”
An Egyptian news site reported shortly after the UNSC vote that Secretary of State John Kerry had met with senior Palestinian officials shortly before the resolution was passed. Citing Egyptian military sources, the report said there are recordings of the meetings.
David Keyes, spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, also stated that Israel has “ironclad information” that the US worked with the Palestinians on the resolution.
“From the information that we have, we have no doubt that the Obama administration initiated it, stood behind it, coordinated on the wording and demanded that it be passed,” Netanyahu said at a weekly Cabinet meeting held after the vote.
By: Max Gelber, United with Israel