'US warned PA on UN resolution for settlement-freeze'

Report: Obama told Abbas that UN resolution condemning settlements could hurt US-Authority relations; US may cut aid to Palestinians.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mahmoud Abbas 311 (photo credit: MUHAMMED MUHEISEN ( AP))
Mahmoud Abbas 311
(photo credit: MUHAMMED MUHEISEN ( AP))
US President Obama warned the Palestinian Authority of the potential consequences Friday in submitting their resolution on the condemnation of the settlements over the green line to the UN Security Council, Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat reported Saturday.
The resolution called settlements built beyond the green "illegal" and demanded that new construction halt immediately.
A senior member of the PLO Ahmad Majdalani told AFP Friday that "Yesterday Obama warned that he would take action against us, and this is not a new development. Since more than a week ago we have gotten American threats."
Majdalani added that the matter was discussed in Palestinian Authority meetings Friday, and that Obama "If we push this in the Security Council several circles within the US congress reconsider the American aid that the Palestinian Authority receives from the United States."
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A Palestinian official, who withed his name from reporters, said that Obama reportedly warned Palestinian Authority President Abbas that the UN Security council resolution on the settlements could potential injure American-Palestinian Authority relations. The officials said that Abbas told the US president that "The Palestinian request to stop the settlements are irreversible because it caused the collapse of the peace process. The Palestinian leadership and Palestinian people have made this decision and hold see it as a requirement."
The US exercised its first UN Security Council veto Friday when it nixed the UN Security Council resolution.
The 14 other current members of the Security Council, including Britain, Germany and France, all backed the measure, submitted by Lebanon on behalf of the Palestinians after intensive American diplomacy failed to keep it from being considered.