Egypt: US veto of Israeli settlement resolution "disappointing"

19.02.2011

Egypt said on Saturday that the United States' decision to veto a United Nations resolution condemning Israeli settlement-building activities was "disappointing", DPA reported.

The US vetoed the Arab-backed resolution on Friday, arguing that the measure would further hinder Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

A spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Hossam Zaki, predicted that the veto will instead push all sides away from the talks and further damage the credibility of the US as a mediator.

Its stance was "not only disappointing to the Palestinian and Arab people, but also on an international level, especially in all of the states that supported the draft resolution," Zaki said.

The other 14 countries on the UN Security Council voted for the resolution.

The peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians had begun in September, but collapsed just three weeks later when a partial Israeli freeze on settlement construction in occupied Palestinian territories was allowed to expire.

The Palestinians have said they will not return to the negotiating table until Israel renews the moratorium.

Source: Trend.
Link: http://en.trend.az/news/arisc/1832536.html.