Washington, DC -- Rep. Eliot L. Engel, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement following the United States’ veto of a United Nations Security Council condemnation of Israel.

“I applaud the United States’ veto of the horrendous Security Council resolution that condemns Israel, while ignoring the fact that the Palestinians have refused to negotiate a peace treaty with Israel. In my estimation, it is the Palestinians who should be condemned for walking away from the Middle East peace talks.

“The Israelis have repeatedly stated they are ready to discuss peace with the Palestinians without any preconditions.  This is the way to peace, not by having a one-sided resolution in the United Nations Security Council, which only serves to discredit the United Nations and make the Palestinians more intransigent in refusing to negotiate a peace treaty.

“President Barack Obama did the right thing in ordering the United States to veto this resolution.”

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