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A6 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 18 February 2023
U.N. draft resolution demands halt to Israeli settlements

By EDITH M. LEDERER and against acquiring territory
MATTHEW LEE by force and reaffirm that
Associated Press any such acquisition is ille-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A gal.
Palestinian-backed U.N. On Tuesday, top diplomats
resolution that could be from the United States,
put to a vote in the Secu- United Kingdom, France,
rity Council early next week Germany and Italy con-
would demand an immedi- demned Israel’s plans to
ate halt to all Israeli settle- build 10,000 new homes
ment activities, condemn in existing settlements in
Israeli attempts to annex the West Bank and retro-
settlements and outposts, actively legalize nine out-
“and call for their immedi- posts. Prime Minister Benja-
ate reversal.” min Netanyahu’s Cabinet
In Washington, the State announced the measure
Department said it be- Sunday, following a surge
lieved the resolution as in violence in Jerusalem.
drafted was “unhelpful,” U.S. deputy State Depart-
but declined to say if it ment spokesman Vedant
would veto the document Patel told reporters in Wash-
or try to water it down to ington on Thursday: “The in-
avoid a contentious vote. troduction of this resolution
Council diplomats, speak- Israeli troops demolish the house of Palestinian Muhammed Kamel al-Jabari, who carried out a is unhelpful in supporting
ing on condition of ano- deadly shooting attack last year that killed one Israeli, in the West Bank city of Hebron, Thursday, the conditions necessary to
Feb. 16, 2023.
nymity because talks were Associated Press advance negotiations for a
private, said the U.S. was two-state solution.”
seeking to replace the res- seek for a future state. salem. tively annexing West Bank Patel added that Israel’s
olution, which would be le- Israel captured the West Ultranationalists who op- territory. recent decision to expand
gally binding, with a weak- Bank, along with east Jeru- pose Palestinian state- The draft resolution, circu- settlements and legalize
er presidential statement. salem and the Gaza Strip, hood comprise a major- lated by the United Arab previously illegal settlement
The push for a vote on the in the 1967 Mideast war. ity of Israel’s new govern- Emirates, the Arab repre- outposts was also “unhelp-
draft resolution, a copy of The United Nations and ment, which has declared sentative on the council, ful.”
which was obtained Thurs- most of the international settlement construction a would reaffirm the Secu- Secretary of State Antony
day by The Associated community consider Israeli top priority. Finance Min- rity Council’s “unwavering Blinken made that point
Press, comes as Israel’s new settlements illegal and an ister Bezalel Smotrich has commitment” to a two- directly to Netanyahu and
right-wing government has obstacle to ending the de- vowed to “normalize” life in state solution with Israel Palestinian President Mah-
reaffirmed its commitment cades-old Israeli-Palestin- the West Bank, erasing the and Palestine living side- moud Abbas during a visit
to construct new settle- ian conflict. differences between living by-side in peace as demo- to Israel and the West Bank
ments in the West Bank and Some 700,000 Israeli settlers in a settlement and within cratic states. earlier this month, U.S. offi-
expand its authority in the live in the West Bank and Israel’s internationally rec- It would also reaffirm the cials have said.q
lands that the Palestinians Israeli-annexed east Jeru- ognized border, and effec- U.N. Charter’s provision

Presidents of Colombia, Venezuela sign trade deal on border

By MANUEL RUEDA people to move between an President Gustavo Petro ity here, so that the rights of cash-strapped country.
Associated Press both countries,” Colombi- said. “There has to be legal- people are protected.” Last year, Colombia and
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Trade between Colombia Venezuela renewed dip-
The presidents of Colombia and Venezuela fell drasti- lomatic relations following
and Venezuela met on their cally after 2015 amid politi- the election of Petro as Co-
border Thursday to sign an cal disputes that led to fre- lombia’s president.
agreement designed to quent border closures. Petro has recognized Mad-
improve trade between In 2019, Venezuela’s so- uro as Venezuela’s legiti-
the two countries and lift cialist president, Nicolas mate leader and moved
import duties on dozens of Maduro, shut the border for away from U.S. led efforts
manufactured goods. months, had shipping con- to isolate Venezuela’s au-
The deal comes as relations tainers put on bridges con- thoritarian government.
between the two coun- necting the countries and Colombia’s new president
tries improve following the cut off diplomatic ties. has said that he would like
election of Colombia’s first Maduro acted after Co- to convince Venezuela to
leftist president. Recently lombia’s then conserva- rejoin the interamerican
Colombia and Venezuela tive government and the system of human rights,
opened their border bridg- United States recognized and has also asked Ven-
es to commercial cargo In this photo released by the Colombian Presidential Press Office, Venezuelan opposition ezuela to assist Colombia’s
trucks for the first time in Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, left, and Venezuela’s politician Juan Guaido as efforts to broker a peace
seven years. President Nicolas Maduro, right, meet before signing a bilateral Venezuela’s legitimate deal with the National Lib-
agreements at the International Bridge Atanasio Girardot, on the
“This is not only about mak- border between Venezuela and Colombia, Thursday, Feb.16, leader and tried to help eration Army, a rebel group
ing trade easier, but also 2023. him to bring truckloads of that is present on both sides
about making it easier for Associated Press humanitarian aid into the of the border.q