Sudden reversal: US vetoes UN condemnation of Israel

After the game
The Daily Jot

Daily reporting and analysis of current events from a biblical and prophetic perspective.


Monday, February 21, 2011



Sudden reversal: US vetoes UN condemnation of Israel



Sometime between Wednesday, February 16 and Friday, February 18, the White House reversed its position on the United Nations resolution condemning the "continued settlement activity" by Israel. In an "about face," the Administration vetoed the UN resolution, it previously was reported to support, even help craft. Even so, Americans should watch for tremendous announcements of political deals in the aftermath that has angered the Islamic world to the point of riot. After a week or more of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying that the US did not support Israel's right to build houses on its own land, and news reports that the US would vote with the Islamic block, in the end, the US used its veto power.



There was tremendous back room dealing going on leading up to the vote. The UK Guardian reported: "The vote, on Friday night, followed frantic diplomatic efforts to prevent the tabling of the resolution, which was carefully worded to reflect official US policy on settlements. Obama spoke to Abbas on the phone for 50 minutes on Thursday, offering a package of inducements, including public statements, to withdraw the resolution...Obama also suggested US aid to the Palestinian Authority could be halted if the resolution went ahead." It is obvious from the veto that the US did not get what it wanted from the Palestinian side, but must have gotten more than what is being reported from the Israeli side.



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel "deeply appreciated" the US standing alone for Israel in the 14-1 vote. Traditional allies of Israel such as Great Britain, France and Germany all voted with Islam. Israel's political opposition leader, Tzipi Livni, said the "US is being pushed into a corner and finds itself with Israel against the world." The Guardian reports Israeli-Arab member of the Knesset, Ibrahim Sarsour, wrote in an open letter to the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, "Obama cannot be trusted. We knew his promises were lies. The time has come to spit in the face of the Americans." Palestinians, indeed, are planning a "day of rage" to protest America.



The American Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said that the US agreed with the resolution it voted against, but that the Security Council should not be resolving the core issues between the Palestinians and Israel. Something is amiss here. The White House helped write this resolution and indicated support for it. Then, after much negotiating, voted against it. Jesus said in Luke 8:17, "For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid that shall not be known and come abroad." There will be more revealed on this in the days ahead. But for now, America stood with Israel in the public domain. Let us pray that in the hidden back rooms of political maneuvering, it did so as well.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry