US Welcomes Security Council Decision

The Trump administration expressed satisfaction over the outcome of Tuesday’s U.N. Security Council meeting which saw the defeat of a resolution condemning the peace plan, despite a barrage of criticism from member states.

“For the first time on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the Council was willing to think outside the conventional box, and not reflexively fall back on the calcified Palestinian position, which has only allowed the failed status quo to continue,” a senior U.S. administration official was quoted as saying.

All of the 15 Council members except for Israel and the U.S. attacked the plan, but a statement condemning it was dropped when it became apparent that there weren’t enough votes for passage. The administration reportedly put heavy pressure on members to withhold their support for it.

“By not putting forward a polarizing resolution, the United Nations Security Council demonstrated that the old way of doing things is over,” a senior Trump official told The Times of Israel.

The official continued: “We are optimistic that countries are keeping an open mind with regard to our Vision for Peace, and are willing to have an honest and open discussion on it as a possible basis to restart negotiations for a realistic two-state solution. As we’ve said all along, our plan is the start of a process, not the end. We hope the Palestinians will take advantage of the opportunity to move the ball forward.”