Two cheers for US abstention on UN Israeli settlement vote

For the first time in 36 years the UN Security Council voted to condemn Israel's illegal, immoral and inhumane settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. The vote was 14-0 with the US abstaining rather than casting their customary veto to any UN measure attempting to hold Israel accountable for their continued subjugation of Palestinians seeking statehood. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid all the blame for the condemnation on President Obama claiming he "colluded against Israel." That would be like the President of South Africa condemning efforts to oppose black Apartheid as colluding against South Africa.

President Elect Trump, whose pick for Israeli Ambassador David Friedman, is to the right of Netanyahu, lobbied for a US veto, placing himself fully on the side of continued Israeli crimes against Palestinian humanity. Friedman argues these despicable settlements on Palestinian land are legal; the two state solution is dead; and the Israeli capitol should be moved to Jerusalem which is also claimed as their capital by the Palestinians, a move sure to create more havoc in the region.

The US said it "fully supported the language of the resolution condemning illegal Israeli settlements", which should have prompted a 'yea' vote. That costs the US one cheer, but two cheers for the abstention are better than none.