France and the United States were among several nations to voice support for U.N. Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, who opened a regular monthly Security Council meeting on the Middle East with heavy criticism of Israeli house demolitions in the Arab-populated eastern half of Jerusalem. Over 100 houses had been destroyed in the last three months in the eastern part of the city, he said. “More must be done to impose the rule of law on violent settlers,” Fernandez-Tarranco said. Israel's settlement policy also drew censure from France, one of the Security Council's five permanent members, along with the U.S., China, Russia and the United Kingdom. “Settlements are a significant obstacle to peace,” French Ambassador Gerard Araud told the council. “There will never be peace until all settlement construction is halted.” Despite Israeli promises to freeze settlement building in the West Bank, construction continued, Fernandez-Taranco said. The Argentine diplomat also accused Israel of obstructing shipments of aid and building materials to the Gaza strip. Alejandro Wolf, the second most senior United States delegate at the U.N., told the council that the U.S. opposed all settlement building in east Jerusalem and condemned house demolitions.
