US vetoes Gaza resolution

The United States has vetoed an Arab-backed resolution demanding Israel immediately end military operations in the northern Gaza Strip and withdraw its troops, saying the measure was “lopsided and unbalanced” and “absolves terrorists in the Middle East".

The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 in favour, one against, and three abstentions – by Britain, Germany and Romania.

It was followed by a chorus of denunciations of the American vote, with critics saying it paralyses action on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel launched the operation six days ago after a Palestinian rocket killed two children in the southern Israeli town of Sderot. The Israeli incursion into Gaza has left at least 68 Palestinians dead.

US Ambassador John Danforth cast the US veto after British and German efforts to find compromise language failed. “Once again, the resolution is lopsided and unbalanced,” Danforth said.

“It is dangerously disingenuous because of its many material omissions. Because of this lack of balance, because of these omissions, the resolution lacks credibility and deserves a ‘no’ vote,” he said.

Danforth said that while condemning Israeli acts of violence, the resolution did not mention that the Palestinians have fired more than 200 rockets against Israeli towns this year alone.

“There’s an old saying that silence means consent. The silence here is deafening,” he said.

The resolution put the blame on Israel “and absolves terrorists in the Middle East – people who shoot rockets into civilian areas, people who are responsible for killing children,” Danforth said.

Nasser Al-Kidwa, the Palestinian representative, charged that “the council failed to take a stand against the bloodshed … by the Israeli forces” because of Washington’s veto.

He said the veto was the seventh by the Bush administration on the Israeli-Palestinians conflict and the 29th since 1976.

Al-Kidwa said he heard much talk about the two Israeli children killed in the rocket attack, but what, he asked, about the 13-year-old Palestinian girl whom he said was riddled with 30 bullets as she walked to school.

Al-Kidwa mocked the United States and its calls for unity of the council in the resolutions.

“This is not a normal situation, frankly. Any sane person can see. You can’t advocate unity of council on all issues, but then exercise your seventh veto or your 29th veto.”