Hands Off Israel at UN, Republican Lawmakers Urge Obama

"Republican members of the US House of Representatives pressed President Barack Obama to veto any United Nations Security Council resolutions on Palestinian statehood that may be raised during the ongoing presidential transition period.

At a Capitol Hill press conference Wednesday, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) urged Obama to reject any UN action 'that unilaterally recognizes a Palestinian state, dictates steps or parameters to the parties, or issues condemnations against Israel.' Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) added that the president 'should not act in any manner adversarial to Israel during his final weeks in office. There is no greater friend and reliable ally to the United States than Israel.'

The UN has become 'a platform for the world's antisemites to espouse their vile hatred of Jews,' said Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), and warned that if Obama supports a Palestinian statehood resolution at the international body, Congress 'is prepared to do everything within our Constitutional powers to stop him and reverse the damage.'

Other speakers at the conference - organized by the Endowment for Middle East Truth think tank - included Reps. French Hill (R-Ark.), Garret Graves (R-La.) and Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), as well as Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust."