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Obama Administration Fires a Dangerous Parting Shot

(Washington Post) Editorial - President Obama's decision to abstain on a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements reverses decades of practice by both Democratic and Republican presidents. The U.S. vetoed past resolutions on the grounds that they unreasonably singled out Jewish communities in the territories as an obstacle to Middle East peace, and that UN action was more likely to impede than advance negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. The measure approved Friday will encourage Palestinians to pursue more international sanctions against Israel rather than seriously consider the concessions necessary for statehood, and it will give a boost to the international boycott and divestment movement against the Jewish state. The Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas proved unwilling to negotiate seriously even during a settlement freeze for 10 months in 2009 and 2010 at Mr. Obama's behest, and it refused to accept a framework for negotiations painstakingly drawn up by Secretary of State John F. Kerry in 2014. Whatever the motivation for the U.S. abstention, Mr. Obama's gesture is likely to do more harm than good.
2016-12-25 00:00:00
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