From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Criticism of Trump peace plan softened in draft UN resolution
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleUNITED NATIONS — A reworked Palestinian resolution has dropped its initial condemnation of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, opting for less confrontational language ahead of a UN Security Council vote, a copy obtained by AFP shows.
The latest draft also no longer mentions the United States by name as the plan’s author, and couches its criticism in milder language than in the original.
The changes come as diplomatic pressure mounts ahead of Tuesday’s Security Council vote, which Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to be on hand for.
The initial draft of the Palestinian resolution, which was presented by Tunisia and Indonesia last Tuesday, charged that the US plan “breaches international law and the internationally-endorsed terms of reference for the achievement of a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
The latest version says the US initiative “departs from the internationally-endorsed terms of reference and parameters for the achievement of a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to this conflict, as enshrined in the relevant United Nations resolutions.”
The draft no longer calls for an international conference on the Middle East “at the earliest possible date,” instead replacing that language with a reminder that such a call was made in a 2008 UN resolution.
It also adds a line “condemning all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation, incitement and destruction.”
Despite the softer tone, however, it was unclear if the latest version would be enough to avoid a US veto when it comes to a vote on Tuesday.
— AFP
The Times of Israel Community.