New details have been revealed for the first time about behind-the-scenes maneuverings in 2016 when President Obama was planning to propose a resolution at the UN’s Security Council against Israel, Yisrael Hayom reported on Monday.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu revealed a year and a half ago at a conference that he requested from “a friend, the leader of one of the world powers that has veto rights in the Security Council, whom I have a very good relationship with” to oppose the resolution. That leader, in the words of Netanyahu, “blocked the resolution.”

In a recent closed meeting, Netanyahu revealed further details. At the end of 2016, Resolution 2334 was being prepared to be brought to vote at the UN Security Council, determining that Israel is violating international law from its “settlement activity” in the “occupied territories” including East Jerusalem and the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.

Israel was aware in real-time that the resolution was being coordinated with the Palestinians and the EU. Netanyahu called Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 24, 2016, explaining that the proposed resolution would undermine stability in the Middle East and harm Israel. Netanyahu requested that Putin announce his intention to the Security Council to veto the resolution.

Unfortunately, Putin refused Netanyahu’s request. On December 23, 2016, the Security Council approved the resolution after it passed in a 14-0 vote. In an abrupt departure from long-standing US policy, the US abstained from the vote, with US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power explaining that although the resolution confirms the consensus that Israel’s settlements have no “legal validity,” the US did not agree with every word in the text and the UN often unfairly targets Israel.

It should be noted that then-President-elect Donald Trump called on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to withdraw the proposal which he did after “intense pressure.” But the proposal was then taken up by Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal and Venezuela, with the UK encouraging New Zealand to move forward even after Netanyahu told its foreign minister that the proposal would be considered by Israel as a “declaration of war.”

An Israeli official subsequently accused the Obama administration of colluding with the Palestinians behind the scenes on the resolution in order to harm Israel

However, Obama still wasn’t satisfied. As readers will well-remember, one of Obama’s last actions before he left office was to plan another resolution against Israel in the Security Council, an ever harsher one intended to force Israel to establish a Palestinian state on the 1948 armistice lines. Israel’s outgoing Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon warned Israel about the planned resolution in real-time.

Netanyahu decided to try his luck again with Putin, calling him a second time and explaining to him how badly Israel would be harmed by the new resolution and how it would undermine the stability of the region.

This time, Putin was convinced and informed Netanyahu that if the resolution was put up to vote, Russia would vote against it. According to what Netanyahu said at the meeting, the Russian intention to torpedo the resolution was made known to Obama.

Obama understood if Russia was the one to veto a resolution in order to protect Israel at the Security Council, it would severely undermine the credibility of the United States as an ally of Israel and his status in the Jewish community.

Obama ultimately decided to shelve the resolution but managed to show his true colors regarding Israel shortly before he left office.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)