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Will Obama push for UN settlement-freeze resolution?

US President Barack Obama wants to leave a practical legacy to his successor in the form of a Security Council resolution rejecting West Bank settlements, yet this might have to wait if Hilary Clinton wins the presidential elections.
U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York September 21, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque  - RTSOTEX
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Reportedly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told West Bank Amona settlers (whom the Israeli High Court of Justice decided need to relocate) that US President Barack Obama still constitutes “an existential danger’’ to the Israeli settlements. The settlers leaked this information to the Israeli media. While overstating his case, as usual, Netanyahu was referring to a possible UN Security Council resolution declaring the settlements illegal and asking Israel to avoid all settlement expansion. Sometime between Nov. 9 and Jan. 20, the US administration might agree for such a proposal to be voted on.

This concern is not just the usual Netanyahu paranoia, but is based on the assessment of the Israeli ambassador to Washington. A senior Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Israel fears that Obama will want to leave a practical legacy to his successor in the form of a Security Council resolution rejecting the settlements in the West Bank. He said, “Obama is obsessed by an objection to the settlements and by his criticism of Netanyahu."

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