July 10, 2008	Thursday	Rajab 6, 1429

UNITED NATIONS, July 9: After more than four weeks of delay, the Arab Group at the United Nations on Tuesday submitted its draft resolution calling for “an immediate and complete end” to the building and expansion of West Bank settlements by Israel.The resolution, which was originally floated by Libya supported by Saudi Arabia and Egypt was put in blue, (which suggests support for such a measure and aim to vote) and it was handed over to the President of Security Council Ambassador Le Luong Minh of Vietnam, which holds the Council’s rotating presidency for the month of July.

In a statement, the Arab group called on the 15-member UN Security Council to assume its role towards the maintenance of international peace and security in accordance with the charter of the United Nations.

“The Israeli settlement plans in East Jerusalem aim to change the geographical and demographical realty of the Holy City and its vicinity and separate Jerusalem from the rest of the occupied West Bank,” according to the statement.

The Arab League also renewed condemnation of the illegal Israeli policies to confiscate Palestinian land, raze Palestinian homes and plantations in order to expand the existing settlements.

“These illegal practices can only undermine the Arab-Israeli peace process and abort the efforts to resume substantive Palestinian-Israeli final status talks,” the statement underlined.

It called on the United States to honour its commitments as sponsor of the Middle East peace process, meet its promises made in Annapolis peace meeting, and declare a clear position on the Jewish settlements.

However, last week US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US was opposed to the Arab move to seek a resolution in the Security Council calling for an immediate end to the Israeli construction of settlements in the Palestinian occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, because that would hinder the efforts of the parties concerned.

“I do not believe... that this is the time for the Security Council to take up the issues associated with the Middle East Peace process. The parties are working very hard.”

“The international momentum does not seem to be affecting the Israeli position and maybe will not, so we will meet to decide what is to be done,” Secretary General of Arab league Amr Moussa said last week at a press conference.

“It is now clear that the settlements issue will destroy any hope of peace and will break the course of Annapolis.”

Nevertheless most western diplomats here expect the United States to veto any resolution which is critical of Israel.

“We know from the past that any hint of criticism of Israel would trigger a US veto,’’ said one diplomat.