United States Veto Un Security Council's Resolution On Middle East Settlement

The United States used its right of veto and blocked the UN Security Council's resolution on the Middle East settlement. The draft resolution has been proposed by Tunisia and Egypt. The document was summoning all interested parties to develop a mechanism of international monitoring in order to normalise the situation on the occupied Palestinian territories. It was condemning both Palestinian acts of terror and Israeli excessive use of force. The resolution also emphasised that the Palestinian National Authority was "of vital importance" in the settlement process. The stumbling block was the proposal to send a group of international observers to the occupied territories in the Gaza Strip and on the Western Bank of the Jordan river. It's no secret that Israel is opposing this idea. According to John Negroponte, the US permanent representative to the UN, the draft resolution is "unbalanced" and targeted at political isolation of Israel. Twelve out of the fifteen members of the Security Council including Russia, voted for the resolution.