US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to change things at the United Nations when he takes over at the White House next month, after the UN Security Council’s vote in favour of a resolution demanding the halt of settlement activity by Israel in occupied Palestinian territory.
The resolution was put forward at the 15-member council for a vote on Friday by New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal a day after Egypt withdrew it under pressure from Israel and US president-elect Trump.
Israel and Trump had called on the US to veto the measure but it ended up abstaining, resulting in the resolution being adopted with 14 votes in favour to a resounding round of applause.
It is the first resolution the Security Council has adopted on Israel and the Palestinians in nearly eight years.
On Saturday, Israel retaliated to the resolution by recalling its ambassador to New Zealand who said the resolution should have come as no surprise.
Israel refused to recognise the resolution with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman Ofir Gendelman tweeting that their ambassadors to New Zealand and Senegal were to return to Israel immediately.
Malaysia and Venezuela also sponsored the UN resolution but do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
