US led UN 'gang-up' on Israel settlement vote says Israeli Ambassador to Washington

The United States refrained from casting its vote, enabling the adoption of the measure

WASHINGTON DC: The White House orchestrated a "gang-up" against Israel on last week's UN settlement vote, its

On Friday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding that "Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem."

The United States -- which has a veto --refrained from casting its vote, enabling the adoption of the measure, the first resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy.

Dermer accused the Obama administration of helping Palestinians "wage a diplomatic and legal war against Israel."

Obama's soon-to-be successor, president-elect Donald Trump, who has campaigned on a promise to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, slammed the position taken by the White House.

Trump, who last week said Washington should have used its veto to block the resolution, has chosen as ambassador to Israel the hardliner David Friedman, who has said Washington will not pressure Israel to curtail settlement building in the occupied West Bank.