The US didn’t veto a resolution whih was adopted in the United Nations Security Council condemns Israeli settlement activity as ‘’illegal’’, and demands that Israel "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the '’occupied'’ Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem".

Instead of using its veto on the resolution, like it did in previous circumstances, the US chose to abstain. The fourteen other members of the Council voted in favor of the resolution, none voted against it.

In her speech to the Council following the vote, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power justified the US decision by explaining that it is in line with the bipartisan US views regarding the settlements for decades.

However, she explained the US isn’t supporting the text because it focuses “too narrowly” on settlements, maintaining that if every single settlement dismantled, it would still not guarantee peace.

Power also spoke of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements in favor of the settlements, but also of the two state solution saying they are “irreconcilable”. “One has to make a choice between settlements and separation,” she said.

The resolution was resubmitted by four countries, New Zealand, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela, a day after Egypt, which originally submitted it, withdrew it under pressure of Israel and the US. US President-elect Donald Trump came out squarely against the resolution, saying it “should be vetoed”.

As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations. This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position, and is extremely unfair to all Israelis,” Trump said in a statement.

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, responded harshly to the American decision not to veto the UN Security Council resolution.

“Neither the Security Council nor UNESCO can sever the tie between the people of Israel and the land of Israel,” he said.

"It was to be expected that Israel's greatest ally would act in accordance with the values that we share and that they would have vetoed this disgraceful resolution. I have no doubt that the new U.S. administration and the incoming UN Secretary General will usher in a new era in terms of the UN's relationship with Israel," he added.