US envoy to Israel summoned over UN settlement vote
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has summoned the US ambassador to Israel over a resolution condemning settlements on Palestinian territories.
The summon on Sunday came hours after envoys of all other UN Security Council members were asked to appear before the foreign ministry following the UN vote.
Dan Shapiro, who was excluded from earlier summons targeting 14 UNSC member states, was called to discuss the US decision to abstain, which enabled the adoption of the resolution. Ahead of the vote, Netanyahu had called on the US to block the text.
On Friday the Council passed the first resolution since 1979 condemning Israel over its settlement policy.
The resolution demands "Israel immediately and completely ceases all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem".
It says settlements have "no legal validity" and are "dangerously imperilling the viability of the two-state solution".
Netanyahu has asked the foreign ministry to prepare an "action plan" to present to the security cabinet within a month over how to handle Israel's relations with UN institutions.
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