In a sign that they feared Obama might withdraw the United States’ long-standing diplomatic protection for Israel, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the White House to veto the draft resolution. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel, called Trump on Thursday, a Trump transition official said, saying they spoke broadly about laying the ground for Middle East peace. Sisi’s office said the two leaders spoke.
“The presidents agreed on the importance of affording the new U.S. administration the full chance to deal with all dimensions of the Palestinian case with a view of achieving a full and final settlement,” said presidency spokesman Alaa Yousef. The resolution would demand Israel “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem” and it said the establishment of settlements by Israel has “no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law”. Egypt is currently a Security Council member and worked with the Palestinians to draft the text.
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(Sourced from agencies, feature image courtesy:thehindu.com)
