UNITED NATIONS — In an about face, the United States today withdrew a U.N. resolution endorsing this week’s agreement by Israeli and Palestinian leaders to try to reach a Mideast peace settlement by the end of 2008, apparently after Israel objected.
Deputy Ambassador Alejandro Wolff informed the Security Council that the United States was pulling the resolution from consideration less than 24 hours after Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad had introduced it and welcomed the “very positive” response from council members.
Khalilzad had said he needed to consult with the Israelis and Palestinians overnight on the text of the resolution to ensure it was what they wanted.
Well-informed diplomats said Israel, a close U.S. ally, did not want a resolution, which would bring the Security Council into the fledgling negeotiations with the Palestinians. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told reporters today in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, that while he didn’t know the details of the draft resolution it was a sign of the seriousness of the United States, which he also perceived at this week’s Mideast conference in Annapolis, Md.
“This means, if what we have learned is verified, that there are serious steps that speak to the existence of an American position supporting the negotiations,” Abbas said.
Wolff told reporters the U.S. had held intensive consultations in the past few days “and the upshot was that there were some unease with the idea” of a resolution.
“The focus, we all realized again, should be placed and remain on Annapolis and the understanding that was reached there,” Wolff said. “It’s a momentous decision … and rather than dilute from that and in respect to both parties in terms of what they thought would be most helpful, we reached a conclusion that it would be best to withdraw it.”
The Annapolis conference drew 44 nations, including Israel’s neighboring Arab states whose support is considered vital to any peace agreement. A joint understanding between the Israelis and Palestinians, in doubt until the last minute, was salvaged and Abbas and Olmert reiterated their desire to reach a peace settlement by the end of next year.
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