The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Thursday to condemn a U.N. resolution that declares Israeli settlements a flagrant violation of international law. All but four Republicans voted in favor of the measure, which passed on a vote of 342 to 80. More than 100 Democrats joined in support, with 76 opposed. The nonbinding resolution declares unwavering U.S. support for Israel and condemns Security Council Resolution 2334, which was approved in late December after the Obama administration refused a veto sought by Israeli officials and President-elect Donald Trump. This is Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Speaker Paul Ryan: “I am stunned. I am stunned at what happened last month. This government, our government, abandoned our ally Israel when she needed us the most.”
Among the minority of lawmakers who opposed Thursday’s House resolution was Oregon Democrat Earl Blumenauer.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer: “But, unfortunately, Israel’s future is being threatened by its own actions, as well as its adversaries’. For years, reckless settlement expansion has been opposed by the United States and the rest of the world. They’re confiscating Palestinian land in a way that is not just contrary to long-standing American policy but is often illegal under Israeli law.”
Some top Republican lawmakers, including Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have proposed cutting off funding to the United Nations over the Security Council’s condemnation of Israeli settlements.