By IRNA,
Gaza City : Palestinians gathered in Ramallah to protest the US veto that nixed a council resolution on Israeli settlements.
The crowd massed in Manara Square, a central traffic circle in the West Bank city, waving banners and shouting slogans against the American administration.
‘Obama, you despicable man, we want self-determination!’ shouted the demonstrators.
Fatah called for the protest after the United States used the first veto of President Barack Obama’s administration to nix a resolution that would have condemned continued Israeli settlement building.
Fourteen members of the UN Security Council voted for the resolution, which was blocked by the United States Friday. The draft called on Israel to stop building settlements on occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
Hamas said the US veto was ‘arbitrary.’ Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, said: ‘The veto reveals the reality of the clear US support to what the Zionist enemy does against our people.’
Barhoum called on the Palestinian Authority to cease negotiations and liaison with Israel. ‘Let’s start a new phase to empower the internal Palestinian unity.’
Egypt denounced the US veto, saying it damaged Washington’s credibility as a peace broker.
‘The veto, which contradicts the American public stance rejecting settlement policy, will lead to more damage to the United States’ credibility on the Arab side as a mediator in peace efforts,’ Egypt Foreign Ministry statement said.