Anger in Israel over the U.N. Security Council's anti-settlement vote grew stronger after Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer claimed Monday that the Obama administration was involved in the resolution's passing at a capacity beyond its abstention. "We have evidence for that," Dermer said in a CNN interview, referring to the Obama administrations' role in driving the Resolution 2334. "We will present that evidence to the new administration in the appropriate channels, and then they can decide whether they want to release it to the public." Dermer went on to say that "[U.S. President Barack] Obama gave the Palestinians exactly what they wanted: He gave them the ammunition for a political, diplomatic and legal war against Israel, by not vetoing," the resolution. Pressed about Israel's tough response to the countries that voted in favor of the resolution, Dermer stated simply that "Israel is not going to be kicked in the teeth and just not respond." While Dermer noted that disagreement over the settlements is not a new topic, he stressed that Obama brought "the disagreement between our two governments [over settlements] ... to the Security Council, something that has not happened in 36 years, since the days of Jimmy Carter." Dermer stressed that the resolution, and Obama's part in it, will make peace more difficult to achieve and will encourage boycotts against Israel. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump also spoke out against the U.N., tweeting, "The United Nations has such great potential but right now it is just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time. So sad!" At the same time, Obama's Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told Israel's Channel 2 News that, despite accusations in Israel, "by definition it's not an ambush when President Obama and Secretary [of State John] Kerry have been saying in hundreds of conversations and in public comments that Israeli settlement activity was pushing into the West Bank in a way that was making the two-state solution unachievable over time." Rhodes stressed that Obama has been supportive of the Jewish state, saying, "I think the true face of this president's support for Israel can be seen in his entire record," going on to reference the United States' recent $38 billion aid package to Israel. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected claims that his response to the passing of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334 against the settlement enterprise has been overly aggressive. "Israel is a country with national pride, and we will not turn the other cheek," Netanyahu said Referring to his decision to withdraw ambassadors from New Zealand and Senegal and to cancel planned diplomatic visits, among other things, the prime minister said, "This is a rational, aggressive and responsible reaction." He said that the response makes it clear to the world that the U.N. resolution is not acceptable to Israel. Speaking at Maalot-Tarshiha in Israel's north, at the launch of a social and economic development program for the Galilee, Netanyahu said, "There is continued importance to this reaction, even if there is another attempt or two to harm us over the next month. But there is no substitute for a determined response, because that essentially creates the basis for future treatment -- so describing our protest as a world war is ridiculous. I say, enough with these customs of exile. I am telling you that there is no diplomatic wisdom in obsequiousness. Our relationships with the countries of the world will not only not be damaged -- they will improve over time, because the countries of the world respect strong countries that stand their ground, and they do not respect weak countries that are deferent and bow their heads." Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud) also commented on the issue, saying, "The difficult resolution approved in the Security Council is not only against the settlements, it is an anti-Israel resolution. We are here to build and to be built up. We will behave responsibly and thoughtfully, and we will consider the steps and processes. This is our home, our land and our homeland." However, Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog attacked Netanyahu, saying, "Only two weeks ago, we heard the prime minister boast about his excellent foreign relations with various countries, including in Africa and Asia, and now, before our eyes, there has been a total collapse of Israeli foreign policy. A collapse upon which the name of only a single man is signed, and that is Benjamin Netanyahu." Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid sent a letter to Knesset Foreign Affair and Defense Committee Chairman Avi Dichter (Likud) Monday, saying that the U.N. resolution was "terrible," and that "we will not fold before the world, rather, we will simply work correctly, professionally, thoughtfully and in an organized manner, according only to the national interest."
