Draft on East Jerusalem not adopted by Security Council: United States vetoes text.

• Position: United Nations Security Council

A draft resolution calling upon Israel - the occupying Power - to rescind its orders for expropriation of some 53 hectares of land in East Jerusalem was not adopted by the Security Council on 17 May, due to a veto by one of its permanent members - the United States. The vote was 14 in favour to 1 against.

The text would have confirmed that Israel's expropriation orders were "invalid and in violation" of relevant Council resolutions and the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in time of war.

The United States said it had exercised its veto for the first time in five years, "reluctantly, but without hesitation", on a matter of principle. (On 7 November 1989, it had rejected a draft, strongly deploring Israeli policies and practices violating the human rights of the Palestinians in the occupied territories.)

As a co-sponsor of the Middle East peace process, the United States said it believed that direct talks between the parties were the "only path to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace" in the region. By declaring itself on the issue of Jerusalem, the Council would have violated that principle. The issue must be resolved between the parties, "with the support of the international community, but without its interference", it said.

"We have not voted against this resolution because we support Israel's decision on land expropriation: we do not", the United States declared. "This vote is a result of our longheld and long-stated position regarding what we can and cannot support in this Council."

The Russian Federation - the other co-sponsor of the peace process - said that any action to "alter the status quo" in Jerusalem prior to negotiations on the final status of Palestinian territories was "contravening the spirit of the Palestinian-Israeli agreements and the peace process as a whole".

Palestine said the United States veto - a "clear backing of the illegal Israeli action and an attempt to legalize it" - would be counterproductive, complicating the peace process.

Israel stated that the matter was for the parties concerned, based on the Declaration of Principles on interim Self-Government Arrangements of 13 September 1993, and that the outcome of Council deliberations was appropriate. It called upon its partners to "accelerate the progress towards peace, build mutual confidence, combat terrorism and implement the agreements" which had been signed.

The voting was preceded by a three-day Council debate on the...