THE UN General Assembly yesterday overwhelming approved a resolution condemning Israel's "illegal" settlement policies and called for symbolic punitive measures. The vote in emergency session was 134 states in favour, with the United States, Israel and Micronesia voting against the resolution.
The measure demands the "immediate and full cessation" of construction of a new Jewish settlement at Har Homa, in disputed east Jerusalem.
Despite strong support for the measure, 11 nations - including Australia, Canada, and Norway - abstained from voting. Germany broke ranks with its 14 European Union colleagues and abstained from voting, stating that the text was unbalanced.
The Palestine observer to the UN, Mr Nasser Al Kidwa, whose delegation drafted the resolution submitted to the emergency session, expressed "full satisfaction" with the result.
The Israeli UN envoy, Mr David Peleg, issued a statement saying there was "no procedural or substantive justification" for convening the emergency session of the assembly. Israel "categorically rejects the one sided resolution", which stands in contradiction to the peace process and its principles," he said.