The Arab Group at the United Nations (U.N.) have not rescinded their proposal to the U.N. Security Council to vote against increasing Israeli settlement activity in East Jerusalem contrary to reports that state otherwise, Palestine's U.N. Observer Mission told the Saudi Press Agency on Friday. Feda Nasser, counselor and assistant to the permanent representative at the Palestine Observer Mission, said that Arab member states have agreed “to examine” how they will address the 15-member council once they hear from their capitals on the approach to take. While both the Non-Aligned movement and the group of Arab member states at the U.N. advised the Security Council in consultations on the Middle East on Monday to unanimously act on a long-delayed Arab-proposed resolution condemning Israeli settlements, the United Kingdom said the resolution would “not get the support it needs to pass.” Nasser, in response, said the Arab member states are waiting to hear whether their ministers will adopt new elements to the text from the United States, France and the United Kingdom to achieve “a wider resolution.” Nasser emphasized that Arab member states will not withdraw their proposal and that the proposed resolution is still up for a vote. The resolution—under discussion for about one month now -- demands an end to increased settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, considered illegal by both the U.N. and the Middle East negotiating group known as the Quartet. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Thursday expressed deep concern on Israel's announcement to approve 20 housing units in the Jordan Valley settlement of Maskiot in the West Bank.
