The United States has a hard time getting a sanctions resolution against Iran through the U.N. Security Council because Iran has two protectors (Russian and China) among the five permanent members with veto power.
Israel has only one reliable veto-wielding friend on the Security Council, the U.S.
That protection may be on the verge of going the way of the special relationship, as the BBC is reporting that the U.S. has signaled an intention to abstain on an anti-Israeli resolution regarding East Jerusalem:
The US is considering abstaining from a possible UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, sources suggest to the BBC.
The possibility surfaced at talks in Paris last week between a senior US official and Qatar’s foreign minister.
The official said the US would “seriously consider abstaining” if the issue of Israeli settlements was put to the vote, a diplomat told the BBC.
US officials in Washington have not confirmed the report.
It is likely that the US is considering how to maintain pressure, and a UN resolution would be one way, says BBC state department correspondent Kim Ghattas.
The US usually blocks Security Council resolutions criticising Israel.
If true, this would mark a very dangerous development because U.N. resolutions, even if not containing explicit sanctions, are one of the primary tools for delegitimizing Israel. Depending upon the wording of the resolution, the damage could be severe.
This could be the change Israel’s enemies were hoping for.
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