THE United Nations security council unanimously approved a watered down statement strongly opposing Israel’s continued construction and expansion of settlements on Monday. 

The vote came after high-stakes negotiations by the Biden administration succeeded in derailing a legally binding resolution that would have demanded a halt to Israeli settlement activity.

The Palestinian-backed draft resolution was the subject of frantic talks by senior Biden administration officials, including Secretary of States Antony Blinken, with Palestinian, Israeli and United Arab Emirates leaders. 

Those discussions culminated in a deal on Sunday to use a weaker presidential statement that is not legally binding, according to multiple diplomats familiar with the situation.

The deal averted a potential diplomatic crisis, with the US almost certainly vetoing the resolution, which would have angered Palestine supporters. 

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the security council statement “negates the rights of Jews to live in their historical homeland,” and ignores Palestinian attacks in Jerusalem.

Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour welcomed the presidential statement, telling reporters: “We are very happy that there was a very strong united message from the security council against the illegal, unilateral measure” announced by Israel on February 12 to construct 10,000 new housing units and legalise nine new outposts in the West Bank.