Excerpts: US House repudiates UN resolution. US Embassy location January 06,
2017

+++SOURCE:Naharnet(Lebanon)6 Jan.’17:”U.S.House Votes to Repudiate
Anti-Israel UN Resolution”, by Agence France Presse

SUBJECT: US House repudiates UN resolution

QUOTE:”The congessional measure passed 342 to 80”

FULL TEXT:The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday[5 Jan] to condemn
a UN resolution reprimanding Israel over its settlement activity, blasting
last month's move by the international body as "an obstacle to
Israeli-Palestinian peace."

The congressional measure passed 342 to 80, with broad bipartisan support.
It noted in particular that the U.S. administration's refusal to veto the
controversial Security Council measure "undermined" Washington's
decades-long positThe Congessional mion of opposing anti-Israel action at
the United Nations.

Incensed U.S. lawmakers -- and President-elect Donald Trump -- have assailed
Barack Obama's outgoing administration for abstaining in the December 23
vote instead of vetoing the UN resolution, essentially clearing the way for
its passage.

"I am stunned at what happened last month. This government -- our
government -- abandoned our ally Israel when she needed us the most," House
Speaker Paul Ryan told the chamber shortly before the House vote.

"It is time to repair the damage done by this misguided hit job at the UN,"
he added. "It's time to rebuild our partnership" with the Jewish state.

White House aides have said that while Obama is a firm supporter of Israel,
he felt that after eight years he had simply run out of ways to convince
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel building on Palestinian land
is sabotaging hopes for peace.

The House measure, which is non-binding, calls for the UN resolution "to be
repealed or fundamentally altered so that... it is no longer one-sided and
anti-Israel" and allows all final status issues toward a two-state solution
to be resolved through direct bilateral negotiation.

It also demands that the United States ensures that no action be taken at
the Paris Conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict scheduled for
January 15, that would impose an agreement on the two sides.

The French-organized talks, to be attended by around 70 countries -- but not
by Israeli or Palestinian representatives -- are being held to reiterate
international support for a two-state solution to the conflict.

A similar bipartisan resolution was introduced in the U.S. Senate, where
Republican Ted Cruz on Thursday[5 Jan] slammed Obama and his administration,
saying the failure to veto the UN measure marked their attempt "to lash
out... at Israel with their last breath in office."

Cruz said he will propose legislation designed to cut U.S. funding to the
United Nations unless the anti-Israel resolution is repealed or made more
balanced.

But some congressional Democrats insisted the Capitol Hill vote had more to
do with taking a final jab at Obama than condemning his administration's
lack of action.

"It's subterfuge. This is about kicking a president on the way out, one more
time," fumed House Democrat Gerry Connolly, who voted no on the resolution.


+++SOURCE:Jordan Times 6 Jan.’17:”Relocating US embassy to Jerusalem a red
line — Jordan” by JT

SUBJECT: US Embassy location

QUOTE:Jordan has been spearheading efforts to protect Jerusalem’s
Arab-Islamic identity in the face of Judaisation policies”

FULL TEXT:AMMAN — Jordan has warned of "catastrophic" repercussions if
President-elect Donald Trump makes good on a campaign promise to move the US
embassy in Israel to occupied Jerusalem.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Mohammad
Momani told The Associated Press on Thursday[5 Jan] that such a move could
affect relations between the US and regional allies, including Jordan, the
agency reported.

Momani said an embassy move would be a "red line" for Jordan and would
"inflame the Islamic and Arab streets".

His Majesty King Abdullah is the Custodian of the Holy Shrines in East
Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967 and annexed in a move not
recognised by the international community. The Palestinians seek to
establish their capital in East Jerusalem.

The future of the city would be central to any renewed Israeli-Palestinian
peace talks.

Most countries, including the United States, maintain embassies in Tel Aviv.

Three Republican senators on Tuesday unveiled legislation that would
recognise Jerusalem as Israel's official capital and move the US embassy to
that city from Tel Aviv.

Republican senators Ted Cruz (Texas), Dean Heller (Nevada) and Marco Rubio
(Florida) introduced the “Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act” shortly
after being sworn in to the new 115th Congress, reports said.

“Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish state of Israel, and that's
where America's embassy belongs,” Rubio said in a statement. “It's time for
Congress and the president-Elect to eliminate the loophole that has allowed
presidents in both parties to ignore US law (enacted in 1995) and delay our
embassy's rightful relocation to Jerusalem for over two decades.”

The move means that a unified Jerusalem will be recognised by Washington as
the capital of Israel.

Jordan has been fighting for preserving the Arab-Islamic identity of
Jerusalem in the face of consistent Israeli practices aiming to Judaise the
city and empty it of its indigenous Arab population.

Amman has spearheaded efforts that culminated in a series of UNESCO
resolutions confirming the Arab character of the city.

lso on Thursday[5 Jan] resolving it “will be a crucial step towards
achieving peace and ensuring justice for Palestinians”, while not finding a
solution to the cause will only feed extremism, he added, as quoted by the
Jordan News Agency, Petra.
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Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA