Something that drives me to distraction is when on leaving office, politicians come out and say that they knew something was a bad idea at the time but for whatever reason they kept quiet or didn't agree with something but did nothing to stop it and so it is with Obama who has had eight years to slap down Israel but did nothing.
When it comes to Israel, America is complicit in one of the greatest crimes against humanities since they were the recipient of it during the second World War so it is about time Obama stood with the rest of the World in condemning Israeli settlements on Palestinian land with a binding UN Security Council resolution even if he didn't so much vote with everyone else but abstained.
America usually veto any condemnation of Israel and the original resolution which declares Israeli settlements illegal was put forward by Egypt but withdrawn under pressure from the incoming President Trump but was this is a welcome step but was re-tabled by New Zealand, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela and voted through 14-0.
The UK said it gave 'clear reinforcement' to the illegal status of the settlements and the Palestinians called it 'a day of victory' and a 'big blow' to Israeli policy.
If Obama had shown such backbone to Israel at the start of his eight years then we could have saved so many lives and been so much further down the road to a peaceful resolution rather than far too little far too late in the dog days of his administration.
Now, as the resolution has been passed, let's see the UN reinforce it.
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